The Feelings Never Shown Before
by Kerenza
Summary: The well is destroyed and Kagome is stuck in the feudal era, devastated. Inuyasha suddenly begins acting strange towards her, kind...maybe even sympathetic and understanding......
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! First, I'd like to warn all of you that this is my first fanfic. I mean my FIRST. So, please bare with me. It gets better I promise. Also, I have not seen the entire Inuyasha series, in fact, I have only seen the first 13 episodes, actually, I haven't even seen the first episode. However, to much poking and prying all over the worldwide web, I've learned enough information on the series to be able to say that I am well educated on the subject. I don't know if that bit of information has any relevance to the story or not, but if you see a mistake in the story that is a misinterpretation of the series or changes the plot or the character in anyway, please let me know. (That just came out really weird, but I didn't know how else to word it.) Anyway, enjoy!!

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Chapter 1

Kagome was heading back to feudal Japan today. She was in her time for three days now and she was getting used to living like a normal teen and seeing her friends again. Unfortunately, her grades were on a downward slope, getting very close to hitting rock bottom. Getting into high school was constantly a worry on her mind. She didn't think it was possible to make it with her grades. She was missing so much school, but she had to find the remaining jewel shards.

Despite the problems that she desperately needed (and very much wanted) to fix in her own time, going back to the feudal era was somewhat of a relief to her. She wouldn't have to worry about homework or Houjo for a while longer. But that wasn't the only reason... 'I'll get to see him again...' she thought. 'He's probably waiting for me.' She was surprised he hadn't come after! She quickly packed her bag and ran to the well. 

"Mom I'm going!! I don't know when I'll be back!!" she yelled as she left the house. 

"Ok, good bye dear!! Have fun!!" she heard her mom reply.

She arrived at the well and looked into it. It looked normal enough, but she's traveled through it enough times to know it wasn't. She took one last breathe before jumping in.

She touched down on the other side and heard what sounded like a fight. She quickly climbed out to see Inuyasha fighting a youkai. The youkai spotted her head pop over the edge of the well. Inuyasha seen him look and looked back over his shoulder, seeing Kagome. 

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he screamed as the youkai attempted to dive after her. However, Inuyasha was faster then the youkai and quickly pulled Kagome out of the way, leaving the youkai to slam harmlessly into the well, or so they thought.

While the youkai was trying to regain his wits, Inuyasha put Kagome down behind a bush. "Stay here!" he stated and jumped back out into the clearing, pulling Tetsaiga from it's sheath. The youkai dove at Inuyasha. He dodged the attack and countered with one of his own, splitting the youkai in half. It fell to the ground, a bloody heap.

He walked over the spot where Kagome was hidden.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked.

"Uum...yeah, I'm fine.", she replied with a nod. 'He doesn't usually ask how I am...' she thought to herself. 

"You picked a fine time to come back!!" he yelled, losing the kindness that was in his voice just a moment before.

"Well excuse me!! It's not as if I can look in while on the other side and see if it's safe first!!"

"Hmph. Well just be glad that I'm here to protect you!" And with that he walked toward his tree and jumped up to sit in his usual spot with Kagome watching his every move, an aggravated look on her face.

Kagome looked back to where Inuyasha was standing just moments before, that's when she realized it. The youkai hadn't just crashed harmlessly after Inuyasha pulled her to safety as she had thought, it had completely destroyed the well upon impact!!

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Well, what did you think?? Let me know. Please review!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! I was amazed to receive a review just minutes after putting up the first chapter!! I feel so special now! Hehe. Well, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for!!

Oh, *looks around* I just remembered that I forgot to put the disclaimer on the first chapter. *looks out window and sees two men in suits with sunglasses and briefcases coming up the back steps* Oh no!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters.

*looks out window again and doesn't see them, sigh* *feels tap on shoulder and turns around* "Ah!"

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Chapter 2

"Oh no....." was all Kagome could say when she seen the well. The youkai had destroyed it!! It was nothing but a pile of rubble!!

"No..." she repeated. Inuyasha's sensitive hearing heard her quiet protests from his seat in his tree. He looked down at her to see what was the matter. She slowly started walking, as if in a trance. His first fear was that she was being controlled by a powerful youkai. He jumped down and looked to where she was heading. That's when we seen the well, or what used to be the well.

"What the....??" he said quietly. Then he remember, the youkai had dove right into it. It must have destroyed it.

It took a moment to sink in before he realized exactly what it meant. 'Kagome won't be able to go home...' he thought. He thought for a moment what this meant. 'We'll find the shards faster and I will be able to protect her better, knowing she's here with me than instead of in that crazy era of hers!' Then he thought some more and realized Kagome won't feel the same way, she'll be devastated. He walked towards her, unsure of what to say or do.

"Mom, Sota, Grandpa..." she mumbled. Was she really stuck here? Will she never be able to see her family again? She shuddered at the thought. She didn't want to believe she could never go home again. But upon looking at the completely destroyed well, it seemed impossible to return. She tried to fight back the tears that were welling in her eyes. Despite her determination, they fell from her eyes, rolled down her cheeks and fell harmlessly on the grass. She tried to stop the crying but that only seemed to make it worse. She fell to her knees in defeat. 

Inuyasha seen her fall and ran over to her. He stood next to her, he hated seeing her cry, but he was still unsure of what he could do to help, if anything. She saw him come up next to her and quickly tried to dry her eyes. She got to her feet to the best of her ability, but she didn't look at him. 

"Does it look as bad to you as it does to me?" she asked quietly. If it weren't for his sensitive hearing, he never would have heard it.

"Well," he replied, scratching his head. "It doesn't look good...." What else could he say?

"That's what I thought..." she replied and the tears started coming again. Inuyasha placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. She looked at him and he tried to smile at her. She collapsed into his arms crying. 

"I'll never see them again!" she cried. He wrapped his arms around her and just held her close for a few seconds before gently pulling her away. She looked up at him again.

"Maybe Kaede has an answer, there just might be a way." he told her with as much hope in his voice as he could muster, despite how hopeless it all looked. She nodded and sniffled. They began to walked toward the village to find some answers, if there were any.

They got to Kaede's hut and walked inside. They were greeted by Shippo, Sango, and Miroku. 

"Kagome! You're finally back!!" Shippo cried and ran to Kagome, jumping into her arms. She smiled down at him weakly. He seen the sorrow in her eyes and noticed that she had been crying.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly. She simply shook her head, the last thing she wanted to do was start crying again. Just then Kaede walked out from another room and immediately sensed Kagome's pain.

"What has happened Kagome?" she asked calmly and sat down by the small fire burning in the center of the room. Kagome sat down across from her but didn't say anything. She just looked down at the floor. Inuyasha, still standing in the doorway watched Kagome carefully. When he realized she wasn't going to answer, he took the liberty to answer for her.

"The well was destroyed." he stated. Kagome shuddered, fighting back tears that threatened to plague her face once again. 

"What? How did it happen?" Miroku asked, surprised. Inuyasha relayed the story back to them. Kagome just sat staring at the floor. 

"We came here to see if there was anyway it could be repaired." he finished, looking at Kaede. She just sat there, going over the story in her mind. 

"I'm not really sure if it can be fixed." she replied sadly. "The well has never been completely destroyed. If it can be fixed, it would take months to do. Even then, nothing is certain." Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'It can't be repaired?!' she thought. 'But wait, she said it might be able to be fixed.' A ray of hope pierced through her sorrow. But she didn't let anymore through. 'Nothing is certain...' she thought and figured it would be best not to get her hopes too high. But just the possibility cheered her up a bit.

"So there's a chance?" she asked, just to be sure.

"Possibly, but as I said, nothing is certain." Kaede answered, taking notice of the hope in her voice. Kagome looked up at her for the first time since she had arrived and smiled ever so slightly at her.

"Well, as long as there is a chance." she said. "Do you know how we can fix it?"

"Well," Kaede answered her, "We must find more information on it first. I must try to find the ones who originally built the well, and see if they have any answers."

"While you do that, I think we should go search for the rest of the jewel shards!" Inuyasha butt it. 'We should find them before she has to go back!' he thought.

"No, I think we should search for the ones who originally built the well, Kaede is needed here in the village!" Kagome argued.

"I agree with Kagome, Inuyasha." Sango put in. Everyone else nodded at him.

"But...." he argued, he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

"No buts about it!! We're going and that's final!" Kagome stated, giving him a look that clearly said don't even try to argue.

"Fine! Let's just get this done and over with!" He crossed his arms and turned to walk out the door.

"Wait Inuyasha." Kaede said after him. "Ye should wait until morning, it's already dark. You may all stay here if you wish." Inuyasha just 'feh'. He just wanted to go back to hunting the shards before Kagome returned home, if she could. 

They ate dinner and Kagome played with Shippo a bit to lighten her spirits. Then they all settled into bed, except Inuyasha who went outside and sat in his tree. He liked to just watch the stars at night, they were always so peaceful and calming.Suddenly, he heard foot steps and quiet sniffles. He looked down on the porch and saw the source of the noise. It was Kagome.

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Well, that's the second chapter. Third chapter coming soon I hope. Let me know what you think!!! Review!


	3. Chapter 3

*Squeals with delight* I'm so excited to be getting reviews! And what makes me even happier is that you all like it! I'm so happy! hehe. I know you all hate cliffhangers, but you know....*evil grin*. Anyway, in response to your reviews:

Don't worry everyone, I'm going to try and update as often as possible. Just hang in there!! (^-^)

Iseult- After reading your review, I reread my story and found some mistakes I didn't notice before. I just sometimes get so caught up in the story I just keep writing and my grammar gets a bit sloppy. I'm going to be more careful and proofread better. Thanx for telling me!! (^-^)

eXDreams2K5 and Kagome-chan- You're just going to have to wait! hehehe!!

Em- I don't know yet if Sesshoumaru is going to make an appearance....have to wait and see how it goes I guess.

Dansama and Soju- I know my chapters are short but I don't want to make it sound as if I am just rambling through the chapters. They are getting longer as I go though.

And to all those who want there to be more fluff, don't worry, it's going to get much "fluffier". *evil grin*

*Looks up and sees man with suit, sunglasses and briefcase staring down at her. He smiles and waves expectantly. Waves back nervously.*

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

*Looks back up at him, scared. He nods.* *Phew!*

Now on with the story!!

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Chapter 3

She was out of bed, and unfortunately crying again. Inuyasha just looked down at her.

"You're crying again?! You should be sleeping, we have a long day ahead of us."

"I wasn't...*sniff*...crying."

"Yes you were, I heard you."

"So what if I was?!" she replied, a hint of anger in her voice. 

"Why were you crying this time?" he asked cautiously, he didn't want to upset her anymore. "You seemed fine before you went to bed." Kagome sighed.

"I just was....." she trailed off. He knew she was hiding something. He jumped down and looked her square in the eyes. She looked up, a bit surprised at his actions.

"I know there's more to it then that. Now tell me, why were you crying?" His words were stern, but kind. He wanted to know.

"I.....I...."

"You what?"

"I had a nightmare." Tears started to well up in her eyes again. She squeezed them shut to stop them from coming, but that only seemed to squeeze them out. 

"What was it about?" he asked. He had a feeling it was about the well if it caused a reaction such as this one.

"We went to find answers about the well, but we couldn't find any. The well was never fixed and I saw my family, they were so worried about me. They were afraid I had died. But I couldn't go comfort them. I was stuck here. I don't want them to worry about me like that. I love them too much!!" She was crying again. Inuyasha quickly pulled her into a hug. He heard her gasp in surprise, but she continued to cry. 

"Don't worry, you'll see them again. We'll find a way, even if we have to dig a new well!!" he said, trying to comfort her. 'What am I saying?! I don't really want her to go back!! But I don't want to see her suffer like this either! Damn it! Why can't I make up my mind?!'

"Thank you," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. Her words pulled him out of his thoughts. He gently broke the hug to look her in the eyes again. 

"I want to take you somewhere." Before she could respond, he scooped her up in her arms and jumped up into the tree he was sitting in moments before. He kept going higher and higher.

"Inuyasha, where...?"

"You'll see!" He replied before she could even finish her sentence. He got to the highest branch, high above the rooftops and set her down. She just looked up at him.

"Why did you bring me up here?" she asked, confusion apparent on her face, even in the dim moonlight. "Look." he replied, pointing toward the sky. The stars were shining brightly, brighter then even the moon which was partly hidden by clouds. They always helped him relax. He could look up at the stars and forget all his troubles. He was hoping it would do the same for Kagome. 

Kagome looked up at the stars in awe. They were so beautiful from up here. It was almost as if she could reach out and touch them. 

"Whenever I am feeling down I come out and look at the stars. They always seem to help me relax." Inuyasha said quietly. So quiet that Kagome had barely heard him. She looked back up at the stars and, to her surprise she did seem to relax a little. It reminded her of a time when her family had gone camping. Sota was still young and thought he could count them. Kagome laughed as he began counting. He must have counted for at least an hour before falling asleep. The memory reminded her of the well and she sighed. Inuyasha noticed the sad look that fell across her face. 

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. 

"It's nothing, just a memory from a long time ago." She sighed and looked down at her hands which rested in her lap. A light breeze blew by and Kagome shivered against the cold. Inuyasha sat down behind her and pulled her up into his lap, holding her to his chest. Kagome yelped in surprise.

"Shh, you'll wake the others!" he said, a bit rougher then he had intended.

"But Inuyasha...."

"Shhhh!" He interrupted her and looked up at the beautiful night sky. 'What's going on?' she thought to herself. 'Is he trying to make me feel better? If so, it was working...' She smiled and looked back up at the sky, admiring the stars. They looked so peaceful and carefree. She envied them.

They sat like that for a while when Inuyasha noticed her quiet snoring. She had fallen asleep in his lap. He looked down at her and smiled. 'She's so beautiful when she sleeps.' He brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. He outlined the side of her face as he did so. He allowed his hand to trail down her jaw until he reached her chin. Her head shifted under his touch and he pulled his hand away, as not to wake her. Her hair looked so soft as it shown in the dim moonlight. He couldn't resist the urge and gently stroked her hair, playing with the ends a bit before repeating it. He continued to stroke her hair until he too fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, the bright sun woke Inuyasha first. The first thing he noticed upon waking up was the pain. It seemed as if his whole body had cramped up during the night. He began the squirm until he felt something weighing him down. That's when he remembered Kagome and stopped moving. She was still sleeping peacefully and decided it best not to wake her. She unconsciously buried her face deeper into her robes to avoid the sunlight. Inuyasha smiled and stroked her hair. Her carefully leaned forward and kissed her on the top of her head. That's when her heard talking coming from below them. 'How did we manage to stay up here all night without falling?' he thought to himself. The talking got louder, pulling him reluctantly from his thoughts. 

"Kagome! Where are you?" Shippo yelled. Sango, Miroku and himself had awoken to find Kagome missing. They immediately began searching for her.

"Quiet Shippo! You'll wake the rest of the village with your yelling!" Sango scolded him quietly. "Try to see if you can pick up on her scent."

"There will be no need for that." Miroku stated, a smile on his face. "I believe I have found her."

"What? Where is she? Is she hurt?" Shippo asked worriedly. 

"I believe she is fine." His smile widened. Shippo followed his gaze up into the tree where he seen Kagome and Inuyasha sitting. 

"Kagome!!" Shippo yelled happily. Inuyasha tried to quiet him down without waking Kagome. But he was too late, Shippo's yelling had waken her up. 

"Huh? What...?" She groggily looked up at Inuyasha, blinking at the sunlight. She slowly began to remember the previous night. She blushed slightly at the thought. 

"Hey! What are you two doing up there?" Miroku asked slyly. Inuyasha growled and Kagome giggled at his reaction. Inuyasha looked down at her in surprise. 

"I guess we should go back down before Miroku starts to get the wrong idea." Inuyasha said.

"I think he already has." Kagome blushed as she said this. Inuyasha scooped her up into his arms again and tried to stand, almost losing his balance. His legs were cramped from sleeping in such an odd position. He jumped down, jumping from branch to branch carefully, trying to regain the feeling in his legs and not drop Kagome as he did so. He finally reached the ground and put Kagome on her feet.

"So just how long have you two been up there?" Miroku asked, his grin widening. "And what exactly were you doing?" This got him another bump on his head as Inuyasha slammed his fist on the top of it, bringing the priest to his knees. Inuyasha hmphed and walked into Kaede's hut to see if she knew what their first move should be. He knew they had to find the ones who originally built the well, but they had no idea who they were or where to begin. He walked into the hut and called for Kaede.

"Where are you, old hag?" There was no answer. He knocked on the door to her room. When there was no answer he opened the door to find the room empty.

"Look there's a note." He heard Kagome say from behind him. 

"It says that she went to the market and will be right back."

"Hmph, I guess that means we have to wait for her then." Inuyasha said, obviously annoyed with the delay. He sat in his usual position near the door.

"I guess so," Kagome answered and sat down across from him, on the other side of the room. She looked at him. 'I wonder what got into him last night...' Her thought ended when Inuyasha noticed her gaze and looked back at her.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"Uum....Nothing." she replied nervously and waving her hand innocently in front of her face. 

"I'm going to get some air." Inuyasha said as he got up and walked outside. Kagome sighed.

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Well, well, well??? Sorry if this is moving kind of slow but I had a slight case of writers block today. But it's gone now and I've already started with chapter 4. Hopefully it will be done by tomorrow. Well, what are you waiting for? Review!.....Please??


	4. Chapter 4

Hhmm, it seems like you all liked the tree scene. Don't worry, there's more to come! ^_~

Man in black suit finally left, but he threatened to come back *cringe*. Let's keep that from happening!

Disclaimer: I do not Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

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Chapter 4

Kaede entered the hut about a half an hour later.

"I'm glad to see you are all awake." she said as she put her few groceries away.

"Well it's about time, old hag!" Inuyasha snarled as he followed her into the hut. He had been sitting in his tree thinking while he waited for her to return. He was getting more and more impatient as he waited.

"You've wasted precious time while we sat on our butts waiting for you, you know!" he growled. "We could've been long gone by now!"

"Anxious to start the journey I see." Kaede replied calmly.

"Keh, I just want to get this done and over with!" He was beginning to lose his patience.

"I picked up some information that ye may find useful." She walked over to her usual spot and slowly sat down. She noticed Inuyasha getting antsy and made sure she took her time to get situated.

"Just spit it out already! We don't have all day you know!" Inuyasha snapped. Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him. He looked at her and she slowly shook her head. He relaxed a little. He hadn't even seen her get up from her seat on the floor.

"Calm down Inuyasha!" Kaede said sternly. "Sit down and I will tell ye what I have learned." Inuyasha reluctantly sat down in his usual position. Kagome sat next to him, ready to calm him if he began to loose his temper again. Sango and Miroku came closer to the others and Shippo climbed into Kagome's lap. She absently petted his head, waiting for Kaede to begin. When Kaede seen that everyone was situated, she began.

"I went to talk to a friend of mine. Her husband has been digging wells for many years. I thought he might have some information on the Bone Eater well or possibly knew someone who did."

"Did he know anything?" Kagome asked anxiously. The though of going home again excited her.

"Patience child, I am getting there. He told me of a man who lives in a village not far from here. His name is Tomeo Yamakashi. He may be one of the people we seek."

"How can you be certain?" Sango asked.

"He told me Tomeo was a friend of his father's, who also dug wells for a living. Tomeo moved away a long time ago and never returned."

"Well, it's not much to work from, but it's something." Inuyasha replied coolly. "Where exactly is this village?"

"It's about a two day journey in the East."

"Let's get going then!" Inuyasha called to the rest of the group as he walked out the door. Kagome sighed . Kaede looked at her.

"Good luck child." Kagome nodded and left to catch up to the others. 

The first day of travel was pretty peaceful. Inuyasha walked ahead of the rest, occasionally looking back to be sure they were all still there. They were traveling much slower then he liked.

"Can we please stop and rest?" Kagome pleaded. They had been walking for hours and she was exhausted.

"Keh, weak humans!" Inuyasha mumbled.

"SIT BOY!"

***BAM***

Inuyasha's face hit the dirt. He quickly jumped back to his feet.

"What the hell was that for!" he screamed.

"Hmph! Serves you right! Not all of us are blessed with an endless supply of energy you know!" Kagome replied coolly. Inuyasha mumbled something incomprehensible and jumped into the nearest tree. Kagome sat down in the grass and leaned back on a tree. She let out a loud sigh.

"It feels good to finally be able to rest." She stretched her legs out in front of her and Shippo climbed onto her lap. She smiled down at him and patted him on the head. Sango and Miroku were resting under a nearby tree. Miroku took this as an opportunity to try to grope her. He didn't walk away empty handed, however. He got a nice slap in the face, which left a huge red handprint, and a very angry Sango for his effort.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha jumped down from his tree. He had been watching Kagome from the solitude of his tree, high enough that he couldn't see him. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her beautiful smile and soft hair, gently blowing in the breeze. He watched her for a few minutes when his stomach rumbled, interrupting his thoughts.

"Do you have any food, Kagome?" he asked shyly. She looked up at him and smiled. 'He's so cute when he does that!' She shook the thought from her head.

"Yeah, I'm sure I have something in here." she replied while rummaging through her bag. Shippo climbed onto her shoulder, suddenly realizing his own hunger.

"Do you have anything for me too?" he asked pleadingly. Kagome took her head out of her bag.

"Of course Shippo!" she replied, pulling out a few bags of potato chips. "I have enough for everyone!" Sango and Miroku heard her yell and went to get their share.

"It's going to be getting dark soon." Inuyasha said after he had eaten his fill. "We should travel a bit more and find someplace to spend the night." Everyone agreed and they were off again. They hadn't gone very far when they heard a rustle in the bushes. Inuyasha jumped between Kagome and the bush, ready to protect her at all costs.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly. "I sense a jewel shard." No sooner had she finished her sentence, a wolf-like youkai jumped out from behind the bushes. It had gray fur covering most of it's body and the snout of a wolf. It's hands were not really hands but paws. Kagome saw the shard as soon as it jumped out.

"The shard is in its forehead!" she yelled and the fight began. Inuyasha attacked first, pulling Tetsusaiga and slashing at the beast in one fluid movement. The youkai easily dodged and jumped at Inuyasha, claws out, ready to strike. It swung it's arm downward, aiming for his head. Inuyasha dodged the attack and hit the youkai in its side with Tetsusaiga. The youkai flew into a nearby tree. It slowly got up.

"Damn hanyou, you're going to pay for that!" he growled.

"Doubt it!" Inuyasha chimed back at him. "There's no way you can even touch me with attacks like that!" The now very peeved youkai lunged at Inuyasha again, only this time, he didn't try to dodge it. Instead, he parried with an attack of his own. He hit the youkai in the forehead, killing it. The shard fell to the ground. Kagome slowly picked up the shard and put it with the others.

"So something good did come out of this trip!" Inuyasha said without thinking. He realized his mistake when he seen the hurt in Kagome's eyes. This journey was very important to her.

"Kagome...I..." he began.

"Forget it Inuyasha." she said sadly. "Let's just find a place to camp for the night. The sun is already setting."

They walked on a bit further before finding a place to stay for the night. They started a fire and prepared for bed. Within an hour they had all fallen asleep, except Inuyasha. He sat in a tree and watched Kagome. 'How could I have said that! I know how important this is to her!' he scolded himself. Kagome suddenly became restless in her sleep. He jumped down from his tree and quietly walked over to her. He knelt down and gently stroked her soft hair. 

"Shh...It's ok, it's only a dream." he whispered to her. She calmed down a bit and once again slept soundly. He got up and started to walk back to his tree.

"No, don't go..." Kagome mumbled. She was still asleep, but must have somehow sensed his presence. He once again knelt down next to her and stroked the side of her face. She smiled. He slowly laid down next to her.

"I'm right here." he whispered. Despite his effort to stay awake he soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Kagome was the first to wake. She slowly began opening her eyes, blinking against the sun that shown on her face. She tried to roll to her other side to avoid the bright sun. That's when she noticed something holding her down. She looked down and saw a familiar clawed hand resting on her waist. She gasped in surprise, causing Inuyasha to tighten his grip and nuzzle his face further into her hair. She froze. She didn't want to move despite the oddity of the situation. She liked the attention he was showing her. She also knew, had he been the first to wake up he probably would have left, not wanting anyone else to know he had spent the night with her, no matter how harmless it had been. Especially after the reaction they received last time. 

"Ka...go...me..." Inuyasha said groggily bringing Kagome from her thoughts. She didn't move. She had no way of knowing if he was awake or dreaming.

"Kagome, are you awake?" he asked quietly, as not to wake her if she was still sleeping. Part of him wanted her to be awake, to know he was there. But another part wanted her to be asleep so he could leave before she noticed. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked to be sure everyone else was still sleeping. He took a deep breathe before looking at Kagome, his arm still around her waist. 'I guess he's awake.' Kagome thought to herself. She turned her head to look into the wide, amber eyes which were now looking intently at her face.

"Yes, I am awake." she replied quietly. She didn't want to wake anyone else either.

"Good morning." Inuyasha said as he removed his arm from her waist, suddenly realizing it was there.

"Inuyasha, um...why...?" she trailed off, unsure of how to word her question. She didn't want to scare him off, she was rather enjoying this, but she wanted to know why he was with her like that. 'Was he like that all night?'

"You must of had a nightmare because you started kicking and tossing in your sleep." he replied with a shrug, as if he could read her thoughts. He got up and Kagome looked at him. 

"I'm going for a run to wake myself up." he explained and ran off before she could say anything else. Kagome just watched his retreating figure, dazed and confused.

When Inuyasha finally returned everyone else was up and eating breakfast.

"Here Inuyasha," Kagome said, handing him a bowl. "I saved some Ramen for you."

"RAMEN!!!" Inuyasha quickly grabbed the bowl and started eating like he hadn't eaten in days. 

"Calm down!" Kagome laughed. "No one is going to take it from you!" He looked up from his bowl for a second before turning his back on the now laughing group and continued to eat, in the same manner. As soon as Inuyasha was finished (which didn't take too long, even though he had seconds...and thirds) they resumed their walking. Inuyasha seemed to be ignoring Kagome. 'I don't get it.' she thought to herself. 'How can he be really nice one second, but then arrogant and thick-headed the next? I just don't get it!! Why does he have to be so confusing!! Are guys really worth all the trouble?' She stared at him, as if trying to see what was going through his head. 'Oh, I give up!'

"Hey look, I think that's the village!" Sango said suddenly. And there it was, just over the hill. A quaint little village bustling with people going in and out of stores, child laughing and playing in the streets. Everyone looked so happy. It was such a beautiful scene, with the mountains set behind it, that Kagome couldn't help but smile. She looked over at the others and saw the same reaction. Getting to the village was easy, now they had to find Tomeo, which was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.

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Ok ok, I'm not that good at fight scenes (as if you couldn't tell). I can see it in my head but putting it into words is a whole other thing. Sooo, there aren't going to be many of them in this story. Anyway....Review please!! Until next time! 

(^-^)/~~~


	5. Chapter 5

Yay!! I was hoping for reviews, but I'm ecstatic to have over 40!! They love me, they really love me!!! Hehehe. J/k. I had to get that out. Anyway, this is just to please the men in suits.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. (I will be making a few of my own however.)

Anyway...On with the story!!

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Chapter 5

"How are we supposed to find...whatever his name is...in all those people? We don't even know what he looks like!" Inuyasha complained when he seen the busy village.

"His name is Tomeo Yamakashi!" Kagome reminded him angrily, putting her hands on her hips. "Besides, we've figured out harder puzzles before. We can ask around. I'm sure one of those people have to know him!" She wanted to find him so she could go home as soon as possible. She missed her family terribly. More than usual. 'Probably because I don't have the luxury of being able to go see them whenever I want.' she thought to herself. She sighed. This wasn't going to be as easy as she had hoped. Sango placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go find him. The sooner we find him, the sooner you can see your family again." she said with a smile. Kagome nodded with a smile. And with that they headed down the hill towards the village. 

There were booths set up everywhere, people were selling all kinds of things.

"Maybe we should stock up on some supplies while we're here. We're running a little low." Kagome suggested when she seen the many booths. Inuyasha took one look at her pack and decided against it.

"You don't need anything else. If you put anything else in your pack it will either explode or you won't be able to carry it!" Kagome looked at Inuyasha.

"And don't even think that I'll carry it! No way!!" A shout from deeper in the village interrupted their bickering. A young girl, no older than Kagome, suddenly burst through the crowd, nearly knocking over Inuyasha and the gang in the process. 

"Come back thief!!" a large man shouted, waving his hands in the air wildly. Inuyasha ran at the girl. He caught up with her and jumped in front of her. 

"Where do you think you're going young lady? You nearly knock us over and don't even bother to apologize?! Keh!" Inuyasha preached. She looked behind her and seen the merchant getting closer. She tried to go around Inuyasha but he stopped her. 

"I don't think so!"

"Look sir, I'm really sorry, ok? I don't have time for this! Please, just let me pass!" she pleaded.

"What's the rush?!" Inuyasha said, stopping her once again. Kagome ran up to Inuyasha to see what was going on. She saw the girl in front of him. She looked very frightened, and hungry. She had long brown hair which was matted and dirty. Her clothes were dirty, but not ripped or torn. And it was obvious she didn't have any money on her, considering she was stealing a loaf of bread. The very angry merchant came up behind Kagome. 

"Do you two know this thief?" he commanded. The girl tried to run again, but ran right into Inuyasha's chest.

"No, do what you want with her!" Inuyasha said coolly and started to walk back to the village. 

"Fine, then come with me! You're going to regret stealing form my booth!" the merchant snarled, grabbing the girl's wrist. She screeched and struggled under his grasp as he dragged her past Kagome. The girl looked at Kagome with pleading eyes. She looked so scared.

"Wait!" Kagome yelled, running in front of the merchant. Inuyasha turned around, wondering what Kagome was up to. "How much does she owe?" she asked, taking out her change purse.

"You're going to pay for her?" A look of confusion written on his face.

"Kagome, what do you think you are doing?" Inuyasha demanded as he ran up to her. "Just let it be. It's not your business!" 

"Be quiet Inuyasha!" Kagome shot him a look as if saying 'Don't argue.'

"How much?" she asked again.

"$1.50" Kagome handed him the money. "You got lucky this time girl! Next time you won't be so lucky!" He practically threw the girl at Kagome and walked back to his booth.

"Hey, are you ok?" Kagome asked the girl, holding out her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks so much for your help!" She took Kagome's hand and stood up.

"My name's Kagome. What's yours?" 

"I'm Tameiko Yamakashi!" She replied.

"Yamakashi??"

"Yup."

"Do happen to be related to a Tomeo Yamakashi??"

"Yeah, he was my father." Inuyasha, who was listening to the conversation suddenly became interested.

"That's who we're looking for! Can you take us to him?" he asked.

"I would, but he died." she replied sadly, looking down at her dirty, worn shoes.

"What?!" Kagome was shocked. They had come all this way, her hopes rising with every step, only to be crushed with one simple phrase.

"Why are you looking for my father?" Tameiko asked.

"We..." A woman runs into Kagome, cutting her off. 

"Watch where you stand young lady!!" the woman yelled to her.

"Can we go somewhere that isn't so crowded?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, follow me!" They all followed Tameiko to a little hut on the outskirts of the village. They went inside and were surprised to see that the place was very well kept. There were no dirty dishes in the sink, the beds were made, the floors were clean. It was not what they had expected after seeing the girl.

"I'll be right back, I'm just going to wash up real quick!" Tameiko replied. She was back within five minutes. Her hair was clean and shiny. It reached to the middle of her back in beautiful, flowing locks. She had a beautiful complexion and caring, kind eyes. She wore navy blue pants and a top that matched the color perfectly. The color set off her beautiful brown eyes.

"Sorry about all the ruckus early." she said to them with a smile. "Would you all like something to drink?"

"You live here?" Inuyasha asked, ignoring her question. He thought it was kind of strange that a girl who was stealing bread lived in a place like this.

"Yes I do. I know it's not much, but my father left it to me when he died."

"Do you live alone?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, I do. My mother died in child birth, so my father raised me here until he died last year. I've been on my own ever since."

"If you live in a place this nice, why were you stealing bread?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome elbowed him in the ribs.

"I don't have a job and my family never did have much money. Occasionally I get some money from the villagers, but not much. I'm forced to steal any food I need. My father dug wells at one time. That's where he got the money to build this place. But after that, he couldn't find another job. No one was interested in hiring a man who dug wells and had no people skills." She twisted her hair in a bun on the top of her head and fastened it with something that looked like a chopstick. 

"Oh, that reminds me, why were you looking for my father?" she asked, suddenly remembering the reason she brought them to her home in the first place. 

"Oh, we were wondering if he had any information on the Bone Eater's well, but... You wouldn't happen to know about it would you?" Kagome asked, hopeful that she did.

"Hhmm....I seem to remember me father mentioning it once. He said it was very strange. Many, like himself, were scared off after completing it. He said it was cursed or something. That's why he came here."

"Do you know anyone who might know anymore information?" Sango asked. She could see Kagome falling into sadness again.

"Hm, I don't know. My father left behind a journal, maybe that has some of the answers you are looking for!" Tameiko ran over to her desk and pulled out a very old and tattered book. "I don't know if you can read it, my father had very messy handwriting, and the age doesn't help much either." Kagome carefully opened the book and looked at the writing. It was very small and barely legible. It would take her forever just to read the first page. She looked at the page more closely and realized there was no date. She looked at a few more pages. No dates.

"Tameiko, do you know why there are no dates on these pages?" Kagome asked.

"My father was never good with dates. He said it didn't matter what day it was, as long as he knew what he was doing. He thought they were just another extra thing to worry about, so he didn't fret over it." Tameiko laughed softly after remembering this little fact about her father.

Kagome continued to read the journal as Tameiko talked to the others about this and that. Nothing really that important, just talk. Inuyasha stood by the window, watching the people walk by, or the clouds that went slowly over head. He would go sit in a tree, but there weren't any that he felt was close enough to the hut. He didn't want to go to far. Every once in a while, Shippo would climb onto Kagome's lap to see how she was doing. She hadn't found anything of any relevance, just random little things Tomeo had thought were important at the time. The sun was starting to set and Tameiko started a fire, so they could have light. Kagome looked up to rest her eyes a bit when she seen Miroku get up and follow Tameiko to the kitchen, where she was gathering drinks for the tiring group. 

"Tameiko, will you bear my child?"

"WHA-??" Before she could react, Sango hit Miroku over the head with her boomerang. 

"Sorry about that." Sango said.

"Will he be ok?" Tameiko asked worriedly.

"He'll be fine, he's used to it by now." Sango assured her. They both stepped over his unconscious body and returned to the living room. Kagome laughed at the scene before letting out a yawn. Her eyes were starting to hurt and her vision becoming blurry from straining to read the tiny scribble.

"Kagome, why don't you rest a while?" Inuyasha said softly, startling her out of her little bubble she seemed to surround herself in. She hadn't talked to anyone, barely even looked up from the book for hours.

"No, I think I'll read a bit more. There's got to be something in here on the well." she replied. She wasn't ready to stop just yet, despite how her eyes and head were yelling to take a break.

"You can all stay here for the night. You're not allowed out this late anyway, you'll be arrested by the night-watchers. They are afraid people are going to cause trouble." Tameiko told them. She seen that they were all getting tired. Besides, she didn't get company that often and she was really enjoying it. A few minutes later they all settled into bed and were asleep almost instantly. Everyone except Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome read for a bit longer before her eyelids started to droop. She shook her head violently a few times to try and wake her self up. It didn't seem to help. Inuyasha seen this and sensed how tired she was. She desperately needed to rest. 

"Kagome, you should really sleep. You're falling asleep as you are reading." Inuyasha said quietly.

"No, I want to read just a bit more." she said as she tried to stifle a yawn. Inuyasha walked over and took the book from her hands.

"Come on, you need sleep." She was too tired to argue anymore. She just nodded and got up to go to her bedroll, but she tripped over her own two feet in her half sleeping state. Inuyasha caught her before she landed on top of a sleeping Sango. She looked up at him, her eyes seemed so distant. He picked her up and carried her to her place. She rested her head on his chest as he did so. He put her down gently and covered her up.

"Thank you..." Kagome mumbled right before she fell asleep. He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair once before once again returning to his place by the window.

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This chapter took longer to get up then I hoped, but oh well. Hopefully it won't take as long to get the next chapter up. Well, be sure to review!!


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is for my beloved reviewers who have had to wait waaaaaayyyyyy longer than they should have for this chapter. I'm really, really sorry, I promise to make it up to you somehow. I'll just write extra fast now. I just had a really bad case of writers block and had to figure out where I was going with this story, but I've figured it out now. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.

So anyway, on with the story!!!

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Chapter 6

Kagome awoke as the first rays of the morning sun struck her face. She sat up and yawned. She was still tired but felt refreshed. She gave herself a moment to wake up before she got up. She put away her sleeping bag and continued to read. Inuyasha woke moments later. 'I must have fallen asleep.' he thought. He hadn't meant to. Then he seen Kagome, her nose back in the journal, just as she was the previous night.

"How long have you been up?" Inuyasha asked.

"Hm...Oh, not long. Only a few minutes." she replied without looking up from the journal.

"Did you find anything yet?" There was no answer, so he went back to looking out the window.

"What? Oh no, nothing yet...but I'm sure there's something...I hope." she replied a few seconds later, a hint of sorrow was in her voice. Inuyasha looked back at her and opened his mouth to say something. Just then Tameiko came out of her room. 

"Oh, good morning you two! What are you doing up so early?" 

"Oh, good morning Tameiko!" Kagome replied, flashing her a quick smile. "I wanted to keep reading. I want to find something, the sooner the better."

"I see. My father wrote in his journal almost every day, so I'm sure you'll find something." Kagome went back to reading and Tameiko looked at Inuyasha. He had turned back to the window and looked deep in thought. She decided to let him be and went to cook breakfast for everyone.

The smell of the food woke everyone else and even had Inuyasha drooling. They hadn't eaten dinner the previous night and they were all starving. 

"Hey everyone! Breakfast is ready!" Tameiko called and everyone filed into the room, mumbled a thank you and helped themselves to the food. Tameiko looked around the table and realized that Kagome was missing.

"Hey where's Kagome?" she asked. Inuyasha stopped fighting with Shippo over an unusually large piece of bacon and looked around the table. 'I bet I know where she is.' Inuyasha thought with a sigh.

"I'll go get her." he replied and got up from the table. He looked in the living room, and sure enough there was Kagome. She hadn't moved except to delicately turn the tattered pages of the journal.

"Kagome, aren't you hungry?" Inuyasha asked. He was starting to worry about her.

"No, I'm not hungry." she lied, still not looking from the journal. But her stomach rumbled, giving her away. The smell of the food had gotten to her, making her realize just how hungry she was.

"Come on, you have to eat. You had no dinner last night and the last thing we need is for you to go get yourself sick from not eating. Especially when we have plenty for you to eat." Inuyasha chided.

"But...I..." she started. She wanted to read. She wanted to find an answer. Food didn't seem important at the moment. Her stomach rumbled again, making her think about that last comment.

"I'll carry you to the table if I have to." Inuyasha warned. He was losing patience and his worry for her just made it worse.

"Ok, fine. You're right." She stood up and gently set the book on the chair. They hadn't noticed until now that the other room had become unusually quiet.

Everyone was quiet, trying to listen to what they were saying. Barely eating in the few minutes that passed. When they heard footsteps coming toward them they all turned back to their food. Kagome and Inuyasha sat down and noticed everyone's silence. They just looked at each other and everyone else before eating.

After breakfast, Tameiko suggested she give them a tour of the village. Everyone thought it was a great idea and helped Tameiko clean up so they could leave sooner. Everyone, that is, except Kagome. Kagome politely declined and helped clear the table before returning to her seat by the fireplace and reading again. Inuyasha decided to stay with Kagome. He was very reluctant to leave her alone, especially since she seemed to zone out when she read which made her all the more vulnerable.

"Kagome, are you sure you don't want to go?" Tameiko asked. She was beginning to regret giving her that journal. "It might be good for you to go out and get some fresh air."

"No, no, you go. I'll be fine. Besides, I have Inuyasha to keep me company!" She smiled over at Inuyasha who was sitting on the floor in his usual position, eyes closed. Tameiko looked at him and looked back at Kagome, unsure about leaving her there. 

"Go on! I'll be fine. I promise!!" Kagome insisted. 

"Ok, ok, I'll see you guys later then." Tameiko gave in. She took one last look at Inuyasha before walking out and closing the door softly behind her.

"I guess it's just you and me." Kagome said to Inuyasha before returning to her reading. Inuyasha just looked at her. It was as if she was reading the best novel in the world, holding her so engrossed that she didn't notice anything that was going on around her. As if there was only her and the book. Like it pulled her inside. He sighed and closed his eyes again. He wasn't sleeping, just thinking. 

They sat like that in silence for a long while before either of them spoke.

"I think I'm getting close!!" Kagome exclaimed, nearly jumping from her chair. "It says something about the Bone Eater well!!"

"What?! What does it say?!" Inuyasha asked hurriedly. He had jumped from his spot and was in front of her.

"Nothing all that important yet, just that they were starting to dig in Kaede's village."

"That's it? Hm, at least it's something." he replied, but she didn't hear him. She was so excited to finally find something about the well that she became completely engrossed. He doubted even a youkai attack would snap her out of it now. He returned to his spot to wait for any information.

"What!?!?!?! No!!! Where's the rest??" Kagome cried jumping from her seat and furiously flipping through the pages.

"Kagome what's wrong?!" Inuyasha asked, jumping up once again. She had begun to shake the book upside down, the old pages looked like they were going to fall out.

"The pages....There are pages missing!!!" she exclaimed.

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Hahahaha! A cliffhanger!! Aren't I evil? *Looks at everyone who is giving her evil stares* I'm sorry!!! Don't worry, the next chapter should be up tomorrow. (I have nothing better to do during class then to write, hehe.)(Don't let me teachers hear that!!) I know this chapter is short. The next should be longer. Until next time, occupy yourselves by reviewing. Pretty, pretty please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	7. Chapter 7

Here's the next chapter. Up nice and quick like I promised. Oh, I also changed the last chapter. It did say "He was very reluctant to leave her alone, especially since she seemed to zone out when she read which made her all the more 'venerable'" It's not supposed to be venerable, it's supposed to be 'vulnerable'. T'laren was kind enough to point that out to me, so I changed it ASAP. Thank you very much! Sorry if I confused anyone! ^-^* 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. I do, however, own Tameiko!

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Chapter 7

The pages! The pages are missing! Pages with vital information!! Useful information!!" Kagome cried. She was near hysterics as she shook the journal upside down, the fragile pages looked ready to fall out. Inuyasha jumped from his seat and grabbed the journal from her hand as she collapsed to the floor in tears. He flipped through the pages carefully. He stopped at the page Kagome was reading and looked at the binding. It was obvious pages had been torn out. He growled and looked down at Kagome. She was on her hands and knees, face inches from the floor where her warm tears splattered as they fell from her face.

"All this time, all this reading...I read that boring journal for nearly two days straight...only to find what we needed missing!!" she cried. Inuyasha lifted her to her knees and looked at her blotchy face for a second before pulling her into a tight embrace. He gently rocked back and forth, stroking her hair and whispering incomprehensible yet soothing words in her ear. He continued like that until her crying subsided.

"I just want to see them again." Kagome said, her voice muffled from the fabric of Inuyasha's shirt. "The thought of never seeing them again..." she trailed off, afraid that trying to explain her pain would only make it worse. She continued to cry softly.

"Shh...It's ok." Inuyasha cooed, trying his best to soothe her. "You'll see them again, I promise. If there's a way, we will find it." he reassured her. She nodded her head and mumbled a quiet thank you.

They stayed like that for a while, neither moving, except Inuyasha who occasionally stroked Kagome's hair. He loved her hair. Inuyasha looked down at her. 'She must have cried herself to sleep.' Inuyasha thought sadly as he looked at her now sleeping form. Her eyes were still red and puffy from all her crying, one tear remained transfixed on her face. He brushed away the tear with his thumb. 'She doesn't deserve this.' he thought to himself. He scooped her up in his arms, careful not to wake her, and laid her on the floor by the fire and covered her with a blanket. She squirmed a bit to get comfortable, turning on her side to face the fire. Inuyasha brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. He leaned down until he was inches from her ear and whispered,

"Don't worry, you'll see them again. I'll end your suffering, I promise." He laid a kiss on her temple before returning to his place by the window, watching for the others.

Around a half-an-hour later, the others came home. Kagome was still asleep so Inuyasha met them at the door and told them to keep their voices down. He added in a few death threats for good measure.

When everyone was inside Inuyasha went over and picked up the journal which was now laying on the floor near where Kagome was once sitting. Then he walked over to Tameiko.

"Can I talk to you in the other room?" he asked. "I don't want to wake Kagome, she didn't sleep much last night." Tameiko looked at him for a second, trying to guess what it was he wanted to talk about. It was impossible.

"Yeah sure." she said, leading him to the table they had eaten breakfast at. The others decided to go outside to enjoy the beautiful day so they didn't wake Kagome. Inuyasha sat at one end of the small table and Tameiko sat across from him.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Tameiko asked, slightly confused.

"Do you know why there are pages missing from this?" he asked, holding out the journal.

"What? There are pages missing?"

"Yeah, as in not there? They were torn out."

"Let me see." she said, reaching for the journal. Inuyasha handed it to her and crossed his arms as she flipped through the pages. She flipped through until she reached the place where the pages were missing. She carefully looked at the binding. The pages were torn out quite messily, as if someone was in a hurry, or perhaps by mistake.

"I should have known he would do something like this." Tameiko sighed.

"What? Who do something like what?" Inuyasha asked, his ears twitching at her voice after the couple of silent seconds.

"My father, he was probably the one who tore the pages out. When he came here, he was very frightened of the well. For some reason. He was very superstitious, so he must have torn out the pages to make it look as if he had nothing to do with it." she explained. She remembered the way her father acted when he talked about it and the way he tried to avoid it. It was the only thing she ever seen spook her father.

"What did he do with them?" Inuyasha asked. He was not happy learning this little fact.

"He more than likely destroyed them. I know he wouldn't have kept them, that's for sure." Tameiko replied. Inuyasha just sat there. He couldn't believe they had come all this way only for it to be a dead end. 'Now what?' he thought. 

Tameiko looked at the still open journal. She hadn't been able to bring herself to read it. It was just too painful, the memories of her father still rather fresh in her mind. But now, she seemed compelled to it. She gently ran her fingers along the edge before picking it up, bringing it close to her face so she could read it. She read the messy words without difficulty, she was used to her father's writing. Suddenly she spoke.

"Hey Inuyasha, did Kagome see this?" 

"See what?" Both Tameiko and Inuyasha looked toward the source of the voice. It was Kagome. She looked refreshed but there was still a glimmer of sorrow in her eyes. 

"Kagome! You're awake! Did we wake you?" Tameiko asked. 

"No, no, you didn't wake me. What were you asking that I seen? Did you find something?"

"Oh, yeah. There's a name here. It says that he stayed to finish the Bone Eater well despite my father begging him to leave with him."

"What's the name?" Inuyasha asked. He had walked over to stand next to Kagome.

"Naoki Tatsuya." 

"And does it say if he stayed in the village?" Kagome asked.

"Hm...No, it just says that he stayed to finish the well."

"Maybe we should head back to Kaede's village to see if she knows who he is." Inuyasha suggested. 

"That's a good idea." Kagome said.

"Oh, do you have to leave so soon??" Tameiko asked, disappointment evident in her voice. 

"Afraid so." Kagome replied. "There's something really important I must do."

"Oh...Can you at least stay for dinner?" Tameiko asked. She really enjoyed the company and had grown quite fond of them.

"No, we should head out before nightfall. It's a two day trip back to the village, so we should leave ASAP." Inuyasha said. He knew Kagome would want to stay for dinner, so he answered before she could. "I'll get the others." he said and left the room.

"You really can't stay Kagome?" Tameiko pleaded. She really hated to see them go. 

"I'm afraid so Tameiko. Inuyasha is right, we really must be going." Inuyasha and the others all entered to say their good-byes. After about 5 minutes of hugging and promising to visit again, they were on the road once again, heading in the direction from whence they came.

Their journey was once again peaceful, aside from the usual bickering and Sango slapping Miroku for being, well, Miroku. They continued until night fall when they settled in for some sleep. Inuyasha didn't sleep. He watched over the others in case anything unwanted showed up. Suddenly her heard footsteps near where the others were sleeping. He jumped down from his branch and walked toward the campsite only to find Kagome missing.

He quickly picked up on her scent and followed it. He didn't smell anything else out of the ordinary and he didn't sense fear, but he didn't want to leave her unguarded. 'Where could she have gone?' he asked himself as he ran into the forest. He followed her scent quickly. Then he saw her. She was sitting on a log in a small clearing. She was watching the sky. Inuyasha quietly walked over to her, not wanting to frighten her.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked suddenly, causing her to jump.

"Oh Inuyasha, it's only you." she said, relieved that it wasn't a youkai.

"You didn't answer my question. What are you doing out here?" He asked firmly.

"Oh nothing. Just looking at the stars. They seem to be exceptionally bright tonight. Don't you think so?" Inuyasha looked up at the stars.

"Yes, I guess so. But why did you leave camp?"

"I couldn't sleep and I thought a walk might help."

"You shouldn't have just left by yourself though! You never know what could be in these woods at night. A youkai wouldn't think twice about having you for a midnight snack!" he said, a bit harsher than he had intended.

"Yes I know, but I needed to walk. I needed to do something to relax." she replied sadly. Inuyasha sat down next to her.

"I'm going to stay with you until you are ready to go back...The others would kill me if I let anything happen to you." He added that last part quickly.

"Thank you." she said and looked back up to the stars. They sat like that and talked for at least an hour before Kagome started yawning.

"Come on." Inuyasha said. "Let's go back to camp so you can sleep."

"Ok. Let's go." Kagome agreed, yawning again. She stood up and started to head back to camp, but after taking a few steps she stumbled and nearly fell if it weren't for Inuyasha catching her, his strong arms wrapped around her waist. 

"Be careful." he said and set her upright on her feet again before letting her go.

"Thanks." she said stifling yet another yawn. Inuyasha walked next to her, ready to catch her if she stumbled again. They got half-way there when she stumbled again, Inuyasha catching her. Instead of letting her go this time, he scooped her up in his arms. She gasped. 

"It will be easier and faster this way." he said, before she could say anything. He walked back to camp and set her down.

"Good night, Inuyasha." Kagome said.

"Good night, Kagome." he said and went back to his tree. Kagome settled into her sleeping bag and fell into a peaceful sleep almost immediately.

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Nothing really to say this time. Just review please!!


	8. Chapter 8

I know I know I know!!! Pleeeeeaaaaaassssseeee don't hurt me!!! Just put down the sharp, pointy objects....*backs away slightly* Please, I know I waited to long, I was just so busy!!!! I have the chapter ready though, look a little lower, there it is!! *watches as the angry readers slowly lower the objects.* There you go. I've been so busy with papers and the Holidays and working more than normal. *sighs* But it's finally done!! The men in black suits with sunglasses and briefcases have returned. They came to check on the characters I have been claiming as my own. *turns to talk to the men* See, here's the Inuyasha script! I can prove they are my own characters. *watches as the men flip through the script* Half an hour later.....*man nods* I told you!!!! Now, let's keep the man happy shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. I do, however, own Tameiko and Tomeo Yamakashi and Naoki Tatsuya. *pulls down eyelid and sticks out tongue at the man in the suit.*

Now, on with the story!!

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Chapter 8

The next morning they all woke up to rain, and lots of it. They quickly packed up all their now soaked things and ran in the direction of the village, but the village was still a few hours away. It didn't really matter if they ran or walked, they would still be soaked by the time they got there, but they didn't seem to realize that as they continued to run. They ran and ran for at least fifteen minutes before they were too exhausted to continue. They walked a small distance from the path they were walking on and huddled under a large tree, trying to keep dry, even though they were already soaked. Inuyasha stood and looked around, squinting his eyes a bit as if trying to recollect some memory or see through the trees and rain that made it almost impossible to see more than a few feet. 

"What is it Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, seeing the odd expression on his face. 

"I remember this place. I think there is a cave nearby." He thought for a few seconds before speaking again. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

"Inuyasha, wait! Where...?" But he was gone before Kagome could finish her question. She settled back down with her back against the tree, trying to get comfortable despite the pouring rain. 

A few minutes later Inuyasha returned, a look of pleasure on his face.

"Let's go, there's a cave a little ways from here." he said to the others. "Hurry. I seen lightening a way off, it won't be long before it reaches us." No sooner had he finished his sentence, they heard a rumble of thunder which shook the ground beneath their feet. They ran once again, with Inuyasha as their guide.

They ran for about three minutes before they had to slow to a walk. They weren't fully rested after their first run. It took at least another five minutes before they seen the cave. It was not easily seen. Vines and trees covered the entrance, making it almost impossible to see if you weren't looking for it. Inuyasha ran ahead to the entrance and pulled back the vines so they could see. When they seen it, they started running again, eager to get out of the rain. Inuyasha jumped in first and beckoned the others to follow. The entrance was small and they had to go through single file or risk getting stuck. Shippo was the first to enter, followed by Kagome, Sango and finally Miroku. The vines fell back in front of the entrance like a curtain, not allowing a drop of rain through.

When they were inside, they were amazed at the size of it. It was a huge dome shaped cave. The shape was so perfect, it seemed as if someone had carved it out. On each side of the cave there were holes, smaller than the entrance even. Kagome walked over to one of the holes and looked through. She couldn't believe what she saw. There was a whole other room on the other side, almost the same size as the first. She looked toward the other hole and seen Sango and Miroku doing the same as herself. Shippo jumped in front of her and into the room.

"Wow!! Look at how big it is!!" Shippo said in awe. He jumped all around the room before jumping out and bounded over to the other. 

"Inuyasha, how did you find this place? It's huge!!" Kagome asked. The hanyou was sitting across from the entrance in his usual position. Eyes closed.

"I practically lived here. It's not too far from the village." he replied, without even looking up. 

"Really? Wow!" She never thought Inuyasha had a place to live. She always thought he lived outside, much like they did most of the time. 'I guess he needed somewhere to stay dry when it rained.'

"We'll stay here and wait out the rain. It looks like it's going to be awhile, so make yourselves comfortable. We leave as soon as it stops." With that, Inuyasha got up and walked to the entrance, where he once again took up his usual sitting position and stared through the vines at the rain. Kagome was about to go sit with him when a chill went up her spine. 

"Why don't we start a fire?" she suggested to the room. She looked around to find something she could burn, not really expecting to find anything. But, over in the corner, she spotted a small pile of wood. It was dusty and when she moved it, a spider climbed out, but it would do. She set them in the center of the main room and took out her matches. She had a fire blazing in no time. Miroku, Sango and Shippo were drawn to the fire like moths. Shippo climbed onto Kagome's lap and looked up at her,

"Kagome, I'm hungry." Sango and Miroku looked at her as well, realizing just how hungry they were at the question.

"Oh yeah, we didn't eat breakfast did we, I forgot." Kagome said and walked over to her pack which was leaning against the wall by Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, aren't you hungry?" Kagome asked, finding it strange that he had not jumped at the mention of food. There was no reply. "Inuyasha?"

"Hhhmmm, what do you want?" he replied, reluctantly coming from his thoughts. He was thinking about Kagome, and the well. He didn't know if the well was possible to fix. In all his time, he had never heard of the well breaking, then again, he never heard of anyone coming through it before, until Kagome did. He was also thinking about what would happen if it couldn't be fixed. Would Kagome be this miserable until the end of her days? Will she never smile the way she did before all this? Without the sadness in her eyes. He was thoroughly worried about her, no matter how much he hated to admit it.

"I asked if you were hungry." Kagome said. "The last time any of us ate was last night."

"No, I'm not." He turned to look out the door again.

"You're not?!?!" Kagome felt his forehead. "Nope, you're not running a fever. Are you sure you're feeling alright?" 

"Yes I'm fine!!" he snapped, jumping to his feet. "Just leave me alone!" He stormed into the room on the right, everyone looking after him, their confusion apparent. 

Kagome just sat and watched his retreating figure. 'I wonder what's the matter with him. He's acting so strange...'

"Don't worry about him Kagome, he'll be fine. Meanwhile we're all hungry." Miroku called to her from by the fire.

"Oh, sorry!" she replied and grabbed a couple packages of Ramen and a bag of potato chips from the top of her bag.

Another thing Kagome had forgotten, was the fact that tonight was the new moon.

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Sorry about the cliffy, I couldn't help it. I could have gone on, but I thought this would be a good place to end it. *grin laugh* Muahahahahahahaha!! *Readers pick up the sharp objects they dropped at the beginning of the chapter.* Don't worry!! I'm already working on the next chapter. I plan on having it up later tonight or tomorrow. Depends on how it goes. See you then! *runs away from readers* Don't forget to review!!!


	9. Chapter 9

Here's Chapter 9. Up nice and fast, just as I promised. See? Chasing me all over the world with sharp, pointy objects was all for nothing. I hope you like this chapter. Fluffness, hehe!! 

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Lazy Lazy Soju- I have never seen the Inuyasha movie before and I only have access to the dubbed version of the series, so the well being broken and how it can be fixed is really based on my own ideas. An AU I suppose. But what you said just gave me an idea...Thanx!

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- Someone who didn't leave their name...I'm sure they must have had some kind shops or stores in feudal Japan. And the thing with the sofa....um...oops. hehe. I'll be a little more careful.

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- To another person who didn't leave their name...She just needed some bread, she had things like eggs and stuff, nothing really that great though. And I'm sure Kagome would have given her some food. I'm sure Tameiko would enjoy Ramen. hehe.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. Except, Tameiko, Tomeo, and Naoki Tatsuya (he'll be making an entrance soon.) 

The man in the suit with the sunglasses and briefcase is still here. He got a kick out of you guys chasing me with sharp objects. *looks at man* What did I ever do to you???

Anyway, on with the story!

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Chapter 9

Inuyasha never came out for breakfast which was a surprise to everyone. He usually came out for at least one bowl. Kagome managed to save a bowl for him, since Shippo and Miroku were eating like they hadn't eaten in days. As soon as she finished her bowl she brought Inuyasha his. It wasn't that hot, but it wasn't cold either. 'He shouldn't be too picky, he usually isn't.' Kagome thought as she walked to the entrance to the room Inuyasha was hiding in.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called quietly from the door, sticking only her head in and looking around. Inuyasha was sitting in the corner in his usual position, eyes closed and his head down. His ears twitched and moved toward her when she spoke, but he didn't respond.

"Inuyasha." she said again slightly louder and stepping through the door. His ears faced forward again but he still didn't respond. Kagome walked over and kneeled in front of him. 

"I saved you some Ramen. I thought you might be hungry." she said kindly, handing him the bowl. He opened his eyes slightly and looked at the bowl. The noodles looked almost as good as they smelt, even though he could see they were getting slightly cold and sticking together. His stomach growled, giving him away and he took the bowl, but did not eat. 

"Aren't you going to eat?" Kagome asked. She was very worried. His behavior was really strange.

"Kagome?" he said, placing the bowl on the floor next to him.

"Hm?"

"What are you going to do...if...the well...can't be fixed?" Kagome gasped, caught off guard. She hadn't really thought about it and really preferred not to. 

"Well...I would have no choice...I'd have to stay here, I guess." Her voice was sad and unsure. "I know I would really miss my family a lot...I really don't want to think about not seeing them again..."

"Sorry, for bringing it up." he said quickly, regretting making her so sad again.

"It's ok..." There was a uncomfortable silence between them and Kagome got up to return to the others. 

"Kagome..." Inuyasha called to her retreating figure. "Thanks for the food." He finally started eating his now cold Ramen without letting Kagome answer. She thought it best to let him be, since he obviously had things on his mind and joined the others in cleaning the mess they had made.

After everything was clean, or as clean as it was going to get, Kagome sat down by the fire, closest to the entrance. Inuyasha's question had gotten her thinking. What would she do if the well couldn't be fixed? She hadn't the foggiest idea and was desperately hoping it wouldn't happen. But still, she had to wonder. Would she really be stuck in the feudal era? Would she really never see her family again? She sighed. 'I guess I just have to keep thinking positive.' she told herself. 'It can be fixed, I know it can...but...what if it can't???' She sighed again and watched the rain with envy. It could fall to the earth and would return to the sky without fail. It would never have to worry about not returning home, not seeing family again. It was free. She didn't know how long she had sat there in her trance-like state. She didn't even notice when Shippo had climbed onto her lap. 

"Kagome?" Shippo said quietly. She'd been sitting there for a long time, he was worried about her.

"Huh? Oh hi Shippo."

"Are you ok Kagome? You haven't moved a muscle for hours."

"Hours??" She didn't think she'd been there that long. "Have I really been sitting here for hours?"

"Yes." Sango replied, walking over to them upon hearing Kagome talking. "We already ate lunch. We took some food from your bag. I hope you're not angry, but we were hungry and didn't want to bother you."

"Oh, that's ok, I don't mind. I didn't realize I was sitting here so long!!" Kagome said smiling. "Thanks for letting me think!"

"What were you thinking about?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Shippo! That's Kagome's business, not yours." Miroku said. He had also came over to join the conversation.

"Oh no! It's ok." Kagome said quickly, she was amazed by everyone's sudden interest in her. "I was thinking about home and my family and friends. And...what would happen if the well couldn't be fixed..." Her tone sadden as she mentioned the last thing.

"You don't have to worry about that Kagome." Sango said reassuringly. "It will be fixed. We'll find a way."

"Yeah, so cheer up Kagome!!" Shippo said cheerfully. 

"Thanks so much you guys! I feel a lot better now!" Kagome said, mustering up as much cheerfulness as she could. Shippo smiled back at her and gave her the biggest hug his little arms could manage. Kagome hugged him back and giggled. He broke the hug a bounded over to the entrance.

"It doesn't look like the rain is going to stop." he said to the others, who walked over to see for themselves.

"No, not until after nightfall it seems." Miroku replied with a sigh. 

Kagome played with Shippo for a while and talked with Sango and Miroku. When they were all hungry, Kagome made dinner, more Ramen since that was all she had. Her stock on food was running low since she couldn't return to her time to get more. When it was finished, Inuyasha came out and got a bowl without saying a word and returned to his room to eat.

"Has Inuyasha come out at all??" Kagome asked.

"Only for food." Sango replied. 

"I'm going to go talk to him. Something's the matter and I'm going to find out what." She put her bowl down on the floor and walked over to the room. She took a deep breath and entered.

"Inuyasha?" she called. "Inuyasha." she called again.

"What?" he answered, rather annoyed at being disturbed while eating. She went to sit in front of him. 

"Is anything the matter?" she asked kindly. Worry was evident in her voice.

"No, I'm fine." he replied looking away and eating a few more mouthfuls of Ramen.

"Are you sure?" He looked at her as she leaned forward to look into his eyes. Their faces were too close for comfort, close enough to kiss...

"I'm fine, wench! Let me be!" he snapped. He didn't intend to be so mean.

"Fine. Sorry for being worried!!" she snapped back jumping to her feet and turning to leave. He didn't want her to leave. It meant a lot to him that she was so worried. No one had really been worried about him that he could remember since his mother died.

"Kagome, wait!" he yelled and grabbed her wrist. She turned around. Suddenly, his hair started to turn black and his ears started to disappear, human ones appearing on the sides of his head. Kagome could feel his claws receding on the hand he held her wrist with. She couldn't see his teeth, but she knew his fangs were disappearing as well. She gasped. She had forgotten about the new moon!!

"So that's why you've been hiding! Why didn't you tell me it was the new moon?!"

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I knew we were going to be here for a while anyway. You usually keep track of the moon!"

"I forgot, I had other things on my mind..." she replied quietly and looking down. Inuyasha was still holding her wrist.

"Inuyasha, why did you call me back?" she asked, looking back at his face. This time he looked away, but he didn't let go of her wrist.

"I....I didn't want you to leave..." he replied quietly. So quietly that Kagome almost didn't hear him. It took a few minutes to decipher exactly what he said.

"Oh...then I'll stay." she said, a bit confused. Inuyasha lead them back over to the wall he was leaning against and sat down. Kagome sat down next to him. Neither of them knew what to say or do, so they just sat in silence. Kagome tried to start a few conversations, but they all failed horribly. Inuyasha was just as uncomfortable as she was, but he was happy Kagome was there with him, even if it was in silence. There was no light in the room. The only light was from the fire in the other room which cast odd shadows on the walls. They looked like they were dancing. Kagome could see part of the fire from where she was sitting. She suddenly realized how cold she was and longed to be sitting near it. She tried to fight the shiver than ran up her spine but she couldn't. Her whole body trembled with cold for a few seconds, leaving her with goose bumps all over her body. This didn't go unnoticed by Inuyasha. 

"If you're cold, why don't you go sit by the fire?" Inuyasha asked. He really didn't want her to leave, but he didn't want her to catch cold either.

"Oh, well I don't want you to be lonely." she replied sheepishly. He was surprised by her answer. He was almost positive she would leave him. Especially since they were each being so quiet. He knew she wanted to be by the fire and join the quiet laughter from the others, but she wouldn't leave him alone.

"You should go, I don't want you catching cold." he said, looking away to watch the shadows dance on the opposite wall. It was quiet for a few seconds, and Inuyasha thought she may have left.

"Only if you come with me." He turned to face her. She was looking at him, blushing slightly, the darkness in the room making it almost impossible to see. He blushed as well and looked straight ahead.

"I don't really want to go out by the others...I'd rather stay here...with you." he replied, his blush deepening. Kagome watched the shadows dance across his face. She could tell he was blushing. This only made her blush worse. 

"Then I'll stay." She looked forward again, trying to cool her now red face. Inuyasha grabbed her hand and urged her to stand up. He lead her in front of him and pulled her into his lap. She sat and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Kagome tensed and found her voice wouldn't work. Inuyasha sensed her tenseness and rested his head on her shoulder, stroking her stomach with his thumb. She slowly relaxed and leaned back against him. He leaned against the wall and Kagome laid her head back on his chest. She placed her hands on top of his and intertwined her fingers with his. He closed the tips of his fingers over hers and sighed. 

"Thank you for staying with me Kagome."

"I'll stay with you for as long as you want." she replied and closed her eyes. Inuyasha rested his chin on the top of her head for a moment before gently kissing the top of her head. Kagome gasped and looked up at him. He grinned at her confused expression with a different look in his eyes than Kagome had ever seen in them. They weren't emotionless or angry. They looked so kind and happy, maybe even a bit mischievous. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, looked into her eyes for a second before leaning down again to kiss her nose. Kagome's heart was beating so hard she was sure Inuyasha could hear it. Her breathing sped up and felt her face go up in flames. She felt hot and cold at the same time, she didn't know what to do, but she didn't want him to stop. She leaned her head up a bit and Inuyasha leaned down again, this time touching her lips with his own as soft as a feather would. He looked into her eyes and saw confusion and apprehension, but also with kindness and something else he couldn't figure out. His leaned down to kiss her lips again, but this time with more pressure. He pulled away after a couple seconds and smiled down at her, gently brushing a piece of stray hair from her face. She smiled back at him and leaned her head back on his chest, she could feel his heart beating just as wildly as her own. He rested his chin back on her head and sigh deeply. Kagome sighed as well. They sat in silence, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable. Nothing needed to be said. They were both happier than they had ever been, in each other's arms.

Few minutes later, Inuyasha noticed Kagome's breathing had slowed into a peaceful rhythm. He looked down to find her fast asleep, a smile on her face. He grinned and gently stroked her face. He remembered what he felt like after the last time they slept like that and decided against doing it again. He carefully put her on the floor next to him and got up to get her sleeping bag from her pack. He tip-toed into the main room where the others were also sleeping. He grabbed her sleeping bag and stole a look outside, it was still raining. He went back to Kagome and laid the sleeping bag on the floor. He picked Kagome up and laid her down on the blanket. He laid next to her, pulling her into his arms. Kagome instinctively snuggled closer to the warmth of his body, he smiled, pulling her closer. They both slept better than they had ever slept that night.

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Aaahhh....finished!! See, told you fluffness!! Hope you liked it! I hope this made up for the excruciatingly long wait I put you all through. Review and tell me what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

Here's this chapter, up faster than the last. I'm going to try to put up a chapter every couple of days. Once a week at the very least. So, **Lady Kurai **can put away her giant frying pan and **cashmere** can put away the butcher knife. Threatening me with kitchen objects is not the answer. *looks at them and realizes they haven't put them away yet* Uuummm.......guys.......see here's the chapter.......kitchen objects.....away......pleeeeaaaasssseee!! *they slowly start advancing* Eep!!! *runs* Wait!! *runs back but keeps her distance* Keep the man in the black suit who FINALLY left happy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters, except Tameiko, Tomeo, and Naoki.

Now, let's keep readers happy, especially **Lady Kurai **and **cashmere**. hehe ^_^* *runs away again*

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Chapter 10

The next morning, Shippo was the first to wake. The sun was just rising and began to creep through the curtain of vines, casting playful shadows on the floor of the cave. Shippo jumped up giggling. As if responding to Shippo's giggle, the wind blew, causing the shadows to jump and dance across the floor. He ran to the entrance and pushed aside the vines to see outside. The birds were singing and the sun shone brightly through the trees, not a cloud in sight. A colorful butterfly flew a couple feet in front of Shippo. He couldn't resist the playful urge and bounded out after it.

When Kagome awoke all she seen was red. She gasped and her body tensed, causing Inuyasha to tighten his grip on her. She slowly tilted her head and looked up at Inuyasha's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, especially compared to how he was when he was awake. His hair was once again silver and his human ears were gone, indicating that is was morning. Kagome knew his dogs ears were once again atop his head and she had to resist the urged to reach up and touch them. Her eyes scanned his face and lingered and his lips. She smiled, remembering the kiss and decided to savor the moment, since she knew when Inuyasha woke up it would be over. She snuggled a bit closer, if that was possible, and went back to sleep.

Shippo didn't go far, he stayed where he could easily see the cave as he chased the butterfly. It flew high into the sky, out of his reach, and Shippo decided it was time to return to the others. So he ran back in the direction of the cave. He jumped through the vines, not bothering to push them aside first. He ran over to Miroku and jumped on his stomach. 

"Wake up!! It stopped raining! The sun is shining!" he yelled. Miroku pushed him off and rolled on his side. Shippo puffed out his cheeks and decided to try his luck on Sango. He jumped on her stomach and yelled again.

"Come on Sango, wake up!! It's morning!! The sun is up!! It's beautiful!!" Sango groggily grabbed at the little kitsune who easily dodged her slow movements, all the while jumping on her stomach. 

"Come on! Wake up!" Sango slowly sat up and opened her eyes. She glared at the kitsune. His jumped off her and ran back over to Miroku, hopping on his head. He took a deep breath and positioned himself over his ear.

"WAKE UP!!!!!!!!" he screamed. Sango clasped her hands over her ears. Miroku simply opened his eyes and sat up slowly.

"Huh?...Where's the fire??"

All the yelling woke up Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha's eyes shot open and his grip tightened on Kagome. 

"Uh...Inu...yasha...can't....breathe..." Kagome gasped. Inuyasha looked down and quickly loosened his grip, but didn't let go.

"Oh...uh...sorry, didn't realize..." he stuttered.

"It's ok, I understand." Kagome smiled up at his and he smiled back. Suddenly, Shippo's voice could be heard from the other room.

"Hey, where's Kagome?" Shippo asked

"She must still be with Inuyasha..." Miroku said, a goofy grin spreading across his face. Sango just shook her head at him. 'Pervert.'

"I'm going to get her! KAGOME!" he said, running in the room before they could stop him. 

"Kagome!" he yelled again. He stopped in his tracks when he seen the position Kagome and Inuyasha were in. Kagome's back was to the door, Inuyasha was facing Kagome so he could see the door.

"Kagome?" he said a bit shyly, daring a step closer. Inuyasha growled at him, not at all happy at being caught like this. Just when he didn't think it could get worse, Miroku and Sango showed up at the doorway.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Miroku questioned then, mischief evident in his voice behind the grin he wore. Sango peeked her head around Miroku and gasped. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! 'Inuyasha...is...HOLDING Kagome!!' She put her hand over her open mouth and froze.

"Don't get any ideas, priest!" Inuyasha snarled, letting go of Kagome and sitting up, Kagome followed his example, scooting over a couple of inches.

"Oh, it's ok if you'd rather not talk about Inuyasha." Miroku commented, his grin slowly growing, as well as Kagome's blush.

"You are SO dead priest!!" Inuyasha yelled and lunging at Miroku. Upon trying to dodged the head on attack from Inuyasha, Sango smacked him on the head from behind with her boomerang. 

"Pervert..." she muttered as she walked over to Kagome. Shippo ran in front of her and into Kagome's lap.

"Good morning, Shippo!" she beamed down at him. "Good morning, Sango!"

"Um, Kagome..." Sango stuttered, not quite sure of how to word her question. "Last night...um...did you...?"

"Oh no, no! Nothing like that!!" Kagome said quickly, waving both hands in front of her face. "We just slept, that's all." Sango let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Kagome wanted to tell Sango of the kiss, but decided against it. Inuyasha probably wouldn't be too happy about it, blaming it on the fact he was human. She wanted to remember their first kiss, her first kiss, as she experienced it, and how she felt at the time, not the after thought or Inuyasha's excuses. 

Suddenly, they all heard an exceptionally loud SMACK and turned around to see Inuyasha pounding on Miroku, who was already bruising and begging for forgiveness. Unfortunately for him, he was not in a forgiving mood.

"We better save Miroku before Inuyasha kills him." Kagome said and they all got up and walked over to the two, Shippo on the safety of Kagome's shoulder, lest Inuyasha decide to take out his anger on him.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome said carefully. Inuyasha stopped mid punch and looked at her. "I think Miroku has suffered enough for one day, and we haven't even been awake an hour!!" Much to everyone's surprise, Inuyasha dropped Miroku, quite ungracefully and turned his back to him, crossing his arms.

"You're lucky Kagome stopped me priest, or you wouldn't be walking out of here without a little help!" he stated.

"Well, from your response to Kagome's request, it seems our lady was quite dominant last night." Miroku grinned. Inuyasha turned around to smack him again, but Kagome beat him to it, knocking Miroku out cold.

"HENTAI!" she yelled as he dropped to the ground, a deep blush evident on her face. Inuyasha looked from Miroku to Kagome and back again in disbelief. 'Remind me never to embarrass Kagome like that.' he thought to himself.

"Um, Kagome?" Inuyasha said carefully after a few seconds.

"Yes Inuyasha?" she replied.

"Um, I'm hungry."

"Oh, me too! Let's see what I have left." She started digging through her bag. She kept digging deeper and deeper but all she could find was two packages of Ramen and a bag of potato chips.

"Well guys, this is all I could find." she told them, holding up the small bit of food.

"What!? That's it!!! It's all gone already!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Well, I haven't been home to restock in a long time, so I just hope we reach the village before lunch time."

"Oh yes, how far are we from the village?" Sango asked.

"Only an hour or two." Inuyasha replied.

"Oh, we'll be fine then! Our breakfast in going to be a bit small though. Honestly, I'm kind of glad it's gone. I'm getting kind of tired of eating nothing but Ramen." Kagome said.

"What?! How could you get tired of Ramen?!? It's the best thing I've ever eaten!!" Inuyasha argued. Kagome sighed. There was no use arguing, Inuyasha would only side with the Ramen, so she set to work cooking up the small bit of food they had left for breakfast. Miroku still out cold.

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Well, there you have it, Chapter 10. The next chapter will be better and longer, I promise!! This was mostly to show everyone's reaction to the Inu/Kag incident. Anyway, review!! 


	11. Chapter 11

Ok people. I tried to get this to you as fast as possible, but a busy week and dance competition tomorrow, and choreographing a routine for lip sync has unfortunately kept me away long than I have liked. More people have decided to threaten me with kitchen appliances. *sigh* I woman's work is never done. Anyway, here it is FINALLY!!! Hope you like! Oh yes!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of it's characters except Tameiko, Tomeo and Naoki.

You want to know something that I've noticed? I've noticed that a lot of stories have snake demons in them. Hhhmmm..... Anyway!! On with the story!!

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Chapter 11

Kagome cooked breakfast and everyone seemed to be keeping their distance. No sooner had she served the food, Miroku's eyes popped open and he asked for some, as if nothing had happened. Kagome seemed to calm down, her anger dissipating, but Miroku kept his distance none the less.

After breakfast they cleaned up and went on their way. Inuyasha was at the head of the group, as usual. Everyone else trailed behind, Kagome with Shippo on her shoulder and Sango alongside her and Miroku walking a few feet behind...no doubt admiring the view. -_-* Inuyasha was unusually quiet, once again acting as if nothing happened. But, he was keeping an even closer eye on Kagome...and Miroku. He looked way too happy walking where he was. Kagome was staring at Inuyasha, thinking of the previous night. 'I wonder if he meant it, I wonder if he'll ever do it again. It was my first and I don't want it to be my last...' Suddenly, Inuyasha looked back and noticed Kagome staring at him, he stared back. His staring broke her out of her thoughts, and when she realized just what was happening she turned away, a blush apparent on her face, Inuyasha did the same. They walked a bit more and Kagome could no longer take his silence. She trotted up to Inuyasha, Shippo jumped on Sango as she went past. 

"Hey Inuyasha!" she said cheerfully.

"Oh, hi Kagome." Silence fell between them. Inuyasha looked down at her and seen her staring at the ground playing nervously with the hem of her skirt.

"Did you want something?" he asked, but not unkindly.

"Oh, um...how much longer 'til we reach the village?" she stammered.

"Not long, we should be there any minute now."

"Oh, ok, that's good...cause we were getting kind of hungry...well I was anyway..." She didn't know what to say. She wanted to break the silence, but she only seemed to be making it worse, well, more uncomfortable. She was still struggling to think of something to say when she seen the first rooftops of the village. 'Phew, thank goodness!! We're finally here!' 

They walked straight to Kaede's hut to see if she knew any information on Naoki Tatsuya. Kaede was just making some soup for lunch when they came in.

"Hello there. I was no expecting ye back for a few more days." she greeted them.

"We would have been back yesterday, but it was raining." Inuyasha replied, sitting in the corner.

"I see, did ye find any information on the well?" she asked.

"Well, unfortunately, Tomeo died a year ago, but we were lucky enough to meet his daughter." Kagome said, and went on to tell her of their stay at Tameiko's while they ate lunch.

"Naoki Tatsuya?" Kaede asked when Kagome had finished.

"Yes, that's what it said. Have you heard of him?" Kagome asked. Shippo had long since gone out to play and enjoy the sunshine he was deprived of the previous day, and Sango and Miroku stayed and listened politely. Inuyasha sat in his corner quietly.

"Yes, I know if whom you speak." Kaede replied. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he looked across the room at her.

"Then where is he?" he asked impatiently.

"He owns an inn on the other side of town."

"You mean, we traveled for three days when someone we were looking for was just across town?!?" Inuyasha asked, getting to his feet. "We could have gotten the information we needed and Kagome could be home by now if we hadn't wasted all that time!!" he yelled.

"How was I to know Naoki was one who worked on the well. I had never heard of anything connecting him to the well. But since Kagome has read it in Tomeo's journal, than it must be true." Kaede replied calmly looking up at Inuyasha who was now towering over her.

"Inuyasha, calm down. There was no way Kaede could have known about Naoki! I'm sure she would have told us if she did." Kagome chided.

"Fine, let's just go to the inn. We've wasted enough time." And with that, Inuyasha stalked out of the door. The others followed, thanking Kaede for lunch.

Inuyasha knew where the inn was, but he was never there before and never bothered to ask who the owner was. He never cared and never thought he would have to know. It was a short five minute walk to get there and when they went in a younger looking man greeted them courteously. 

"Well hello there! What can I do for you?" he asked.

"We're looking for a Naoki Tatsuya. Is he here?" Kagome asked kindly.

"No, he stepped out for a bit but he will be back shortly. Is there anything I can do for you until he comes back?"

"No, really need to talk to Naoki." Inuyasha replied and turned to walk out.

"Well, my father should be back shortly." he said, returning to his paper work. Inuyasha turned back around.

"Did you say father?" he asked, taking a few steps closer.

"Yes, I am Taro Tatsuya and Naoki Tatsuya is my father." the young man replied, confused. Just then an elderly man walked into the inn.

"Ah, there's my father now." Taro exclaimed, walking over to help him. "Father, these people are here to see." he told him.

"Oh my, hello there. What can I do for you?" Naoki asked, smiling at them. His face was wrinkled, his mustache and beard were gray, covering most of his face. His hair was long and gray as well. He had a walking stick and was quite short. His eyes were kind and a kind smile greeted them.

"Hello Mr. Tatsuya, my name is Kagome, this is Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippo." Kagome said, pointing to each of them as she said their name. "We wanted to ask you about the Bone Eater well, we heard you helped build it, is that true?"

"Ah yes, it is true I did help dig the Bone Eater well. And I am one of the only who dared stay in the village after it's completion." he replied, his expression hardening a bit. "Perhaps we should sit down and talk. Let's go in the back so we won't be interrupted. Taro, watch over the front for me if you will."

"Of course father!" Taro replied. Taro was young, he looked to be a bit older than Kagome. His eyes were a brilliant green and his hair was an auburn color. When the light hit it just right it looked red. He was average height and resembled his father. Naoki lead them all into the back while Taro stayed in the front. Taro smiled at Kagome as she walked past and Inuyasha, who was walking behind Kagome, saw this and growled quietly at him. The smile quickly left his face, Kagome didn't notice Inuyasha's growl. In the back room they all sat down and got settled. Inuyasha sat against the wall, not far from Kagome and kept an eye on Taro through the door. He was busy looking over some papers and didn't notice Inuyasha, if he did, he didn't pay any attention.

"So, what is it you wanted to know about the Bone Eater well?" Naoki asked.

"Well, you see, the well was destroyed by a youkai and we were wondering how to fix it." Kagome replied sheepishly. She didn't know if he knew it was a passage between her era and this, she doubted it, so she thought it wise to leave that part out.

"I see. Are you aware of the magical energy surrounding the well?" he asked, looking Kagome in the eye.

"Well....sort of." she stuttered.

"I'm not sure what it is, nobody does. The well emits a strange magical energy that even the most skilled priests could not figure out. Some believed it was a passage between time, others thought it was a passage to hell. The well never once drew water, hence the name, the dry well. Do you have any idea what type of magic it possesses? The question has been plaguing my mind since it's completion."

"Well, it's a little unbelievable, but that is how I got here." Kagome replied.

"I do not see what you mean."

"You see, I'm not from this time, I'm from a future Japan, a place called Tokyo. My family took care of the well and I fell in one day and came out here. Now that the well is destroyed, I have no way of getting back to my own time. So we were hoping you knew how it could be repaired."

"I see. I do not know where the well gets its power from, I think it may have something to do with the tree we used to build it from. We were warned the tree was sacred, yet, we still used that tree for our lumber. We somehow felt compelled to it. As if we were meant to use it."

"What tree was it?" Inuyasha asked. He had a feeling, but it needed to be confirmed.

"I believe it was called the Goshinboku."

"I thought so." Inuyasha exclaimed.

"So, can it be fixed?" Miroku asked.

"Does the tree still stand?" Naoki asked.

"Yes." Miroku replied.

"Then yes, I believe it can be fixed."

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*evil maniacal laughter* That's the end!!! *chuckle* I hope you enjoyed it! hehe *looks up and sees people coming after her with frying pans, butcher knives and...sporks?!?!* Now now, if kill me, then you'll never find out what happens next! *a voice in the back says, 'but we still rough you up a bit, make you work faster.' they advance more* But, but, but....I don't work well under pressure!! *they keep coming closer* AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *runs a way* Don't forget to revieeeeeeeewwwwww.........*voice trails off as she runs*

*readers receive a letter in the mail:

I have never seen the Inuyasha movie, but I was told the well was made from the Goshinboku, which made the well a passage through time. I kind of took the liberty to use this to my advantage. I don't know if it goes with the movie at all. It isn't really meant to. Ok, that's all.

Your beloved, and death-threatened authoress,

Kerenza*


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the long wait, it's been a very busy week. Anyway, I won't keep you waiting anymore so on with the story. Oh yeah,

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. I do however own Tameiko, Tomeo, Naoki and Taro.

Ok, without further delay, I present...

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Chapter 12

Kagome squealed with delight. 

"Wait! Does this mean you have to chop down the Goshinboku to fix the well?!" Inuyasha asked/yelled. He wasn't exactly willing to give up his tree. Sure, he was willing to give his life for Kagome, but his tree was going a little too far.

"No, no, no, nothing like that!" Naoki laughed. "If we had to chop it down, we would have to make it in the first place. We simply need a branch or two."

"Well, you better not touch MY branch!" Inuyasha snarled, calming down a bit, knowing he would still have his tree when it was all over and done with.

"We will try to use what is left of the well first. We might not have to take any branches."

"Good." Inuyasha replied, crossing his arms and putting his nose in the air. Kagome giggled. She knew Inuyasha was fond of the tree but didn't think he would be so protective of it, especially it was where he was pinned for 50 years, and it was, after all, only a tree.

"So, how do we go about fixing it?" Kagome asked, eager to get started.

"Don't worry young one, I will help you. But not now, it is getting late. You may all stay at the inn if you'd like. We haven't had much business lately." Naoki offered.

"Thank you so much for all your help!" Kagome said, a huge smile on her face. She just couldn't stop from smiling.

"We should tell Kaede the good news Kagome." Sango told her. Kagome quickly agreed and they all left, telling Naoki and Taro they would return later, and made their way to Kaede's hut.

Immediately upon their arrival, Kagome excitedly told Kaede what the learned. Kaede had to tell her to calm down several tomes in order to understand her. Inuyasha acted as a translator when it became impossible to calm her down. It took awhile, but Kaede was finally able to understand everything that happened at the inn and all that they learned.

"Use the Goshinboku hhmm??" Kaede asked in thought.

"Yes, that's right, that's what Naoki said." Kagome said excitedly, she had calmed down a lot after relaying her story to Kaede.

"I had no idea the Goshinboku was so powerful. 'Tis an excellent idea. I congratulate thee Kagome, it seems ye will finally be able to return home." Kaede smiled at Kagome cheerful face. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever see that smile again. Kagome yawned.

"Well, I thought I should tell you the good news. Naoki said we could stay at the inn, so we should be off, it's getting late. I'm exhausted." Kagome yawned again.

"Alright then, I will see ye all tomorrow then. Good night." They all said good night and headed back to the inn. Kagome wasn't the only one in better spirits, it seemed everyone else was as well, except Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay with him forever, she did say she would remain with him for as long as he wanted, right?

When they arrived at the inn, Taro greeted them.

"Well, hello again! You seem in better spirits Miss Kagome!" he said smiling at her and reaching for her hand. Inuyasha sent him a warning glance and he backed away a few steps. 

"My father has already gone to bed, but he asked me to show you to your rooms." he said, walking down a narrow hall way. "You get three rooms to split among yourselves. Breakfast will be served at seven. I look forward to seeing you all in the morning." Taro turned to walk back to the front desk. As he walked past Kagome, he smiled and brushed his hand lightly against hers. She didn't notice, but Inuyasha did. He growled and watched Taro until he could no longer see him. 

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled from one of the rooms. "Are you coming? We're going to choose the rooms with out if you don't hurry!"

"Wait for me!" Inuyasha yelled back, stealing one last glance down the hall before turning to enter the room Kagome was in. It was a simple small room with a small stand with a single white candle burning on top of it and a futon in the center of the room. All three rooms were the same except one had an extra futon laid out. Kagome and Sango took two of the rooms, leaving Inuyasha and Miroku with the last. Shippo decided he was going to sleep with Kagome. They said good night and went to their rooms, Sango warned Miroku about taking a "midnight stroll".

Kagome had just changed into her night clothes and crawled under the blankets, Shippo curled into a little ball on her stomach and fell asleep instantly, when she heard a light knock on the door.

"Who is it?" she called quietly. Inuyasha opened the door a crack. 

"It's just me, can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." He opened the door wider and stepped inside, closing the door silently behind him. He walked over and sat on the floor next to Kagome who sat up.

"I just wanted to say....that...I'm glad you will be able to see your family again." Inuyasha stumbled, unsure of himself. 

"Um, thanks Inuyasha, I'm glad too."

"Um, Kagome?"

"Yeah Inuyasha?"

"You will come back right? After you go home and see your family again?" he asked quietly.

"Of course I'll be back!" Kagome replied, a bit surprised by his question.

"Will you really?" he asked, looking into her eyes hopefully. She put her hand on his arm reassuringly.

"Of course, what makes you think that I wouldn't?"

"Well, I don't know. I just thought that you wouldn't want to risk being stuck her again, so you would go home and never come back." he said quietly, looking at the ground.

"Oh Inuyasha!" Kagome said, touching his face softly. "I promise I'll be back." He looked into her eyes and saw the truth in them. She smiled at him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close for a moment. She gasped at the sudden contact but relaxed, wrapping her arms round his waist and leaning into his chest.

"Thank you, Kagome." he said and released her, quickly standing up. "Now get some sleep, I can see the dark circles under your eyes, even in the dark." He said and quickly walked out of the room, not giving her time to respond. She just smiled and snuggled back into her blankets and fell asleep in no time.

The next morning they all woke and walked to the kitchen for breakfast. Taro was already at the table eating.

"Well, there you are, I trust you all slept well?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, we did thank you." Kagome replied, taking the plate he handed her and sitting down.

"Hey, where's Naoki?" Inuyasha asked, sitting next to Kagome.

"He left early to gather people to work on the well. They have already begun." Taro replied, going back to his food. Kagome and the rest quickly ate their food before running out the door towards the Bone Eaters well. When they got there they were surprised to see at least twenty men pulling rubble out of what used to be the well. Naoki seen them and hurried over to them, smiling.

"Well good morning everyone! I did not expect you out so early. Have you all eaten?" he asked. They all nodded to show that they had. "Good. We've started to remove the rubble and it seems the well is not nearly as bad as it seems. It should only take a week or two to repair it." Kagome was speechless. All she could do was stare at the work being done. 'I'm finally going to be able to go home!! I can finally see my family again!!' Tears of joy sprang to her eyes and she started laughing/crying at the site. 

"Kagome? Kagome what's wrong?!" Inuyasha asked, worry evident in his voice. "I thought this is what you wanted?"

"It is Inuyasha, I'm just so happy that it's actually happening, that's all. I was beginning to lose all hope. I thought I'd never return home again!" she cried. Inuyasha smiled. He was happy to see her so happy again. He no longer worried about her going home and never coming back. He knew she would. She had given him her word.

"So, is there anything we can do to help?" Inuyasha asked Naoki. 

"Well, I suppose you could all help remove the wreckage. If you see any pieces of wood large enough for us to use again, put it in that pile, if not throw it in that barrel over there. It seems we might have to cut down a couple branches from the Goshinboku after all."

"I'll do that!" Inuyasha quickly volunteered. "Just tell me when you need them and how many and I'll cut them down for you!" Kagome, who had stopped crying, giggled at Inuyasha's request.

"Inuyasha just doesn't want anyone to go anywhere near his beloved branch, it's that right Inuyasha?" Shippo teased. "With out it he may die. 'No not my branch!'" Shippo put his hand to his head and pretended to faint. Everyone laughed. Everyone, that is, except Inuyasha. He growled and lunged at the little kitsune. Shippo jumped out of the way just in time and the chase began. Kagome was laughing so hard, she couldn't find the breath to argue. When she finally stopped laughing, tears streaming down her face, she stood up and faced the rest of the group.

"Let's get to work, shall we?" They all nodded. "Inuyasha! Shippo! Where are you!!" Inuyasha came walking out of the forest holding a struggling kitsune by the tail. 

"What is it Kagome?" Inuyasha asked innocently.

"It's time to get to work you two. Inuyasha, put Shippo down!" Inuyasha looked at Kagome then at Shippo. He gave him one last bonk on the head for good measure before dropping him.

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I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It has the answer that you've all been waiting for, or does it? Mhuahahahaha!!! Anyway, review and tell me what you think. And please refrain from using kitchen objects? They hurt!!! Especially the spork!! See what it did to me?!?! *Lifts up sleeve* See? See?!?! *readers look at her arm then back at her face as if she has ten heads* *looks at own arm* Oh, I guess it's gone then. Heh.......^_^*


	13. Chapter 13

*Peeks head out from behind the door to the panic room.* Um, hi, hehe. *objects fly through the air, pulls head back* Eek! *Shuts door, talks over intercom.* Um, does this thing work?? Ok, I'm really really sorry. Nothing justifies for the excruciatingly (I like that word lol) long wait I put you all through. But after I was knocked out by angry readers and their evil kitchen objects, arrows, and....a boot?!?! Well, in any case, after that, I thought it much safer if I stayed in here til I finished the story. I regret to tell you all that we are nearing the end. Yes, sad but true. I plan on writing more stories, I just don't have any ideas. ^-^* But we have at least, I think, three more chapters left to this one. Give or take one or two. I hope to reach at least 200 reviews with this story, I just hope I didn't lose any after that really long wait......

Disclaimer: Do I really need to put this anymore, I think you all get the point. *feels tap on shoulder, looks up and sees man in black suit with sunglasses and briefcase* Eep! How did you get in here?!?! Ok ok!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. I do own Naoki, Tomeo, and Tameiko.

Hey, what's that? *looks at man's nametag* Mr. Bubbles?!?!?!?! Any relation to Mr. Clean? (you guessed it DJ, lol)

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Chapter 13

Everyone did their fair share of work that day and the days to follow. Inuyasha mainly cut down the branches from the Goshinboku, he refused to allow anyone else to touch it. The first day, the work was pretty easy, just clearing the rubble, so even was able Shippo to help with that. After that was finished, they made Shippo the "Supervisor" since he couldn't really do much else. He didn't really know what a supervisor was, but it sounded important, so he agreed. Everyone was so busy working on the well that they had no time for anything else. They got up, ate breakfast and worked. They would break for lunch and go back to work. At the end of the day, they ate dinner and went to bed. The days were long and hard, but they endured it. Kagome kept a smile the entire time. Not once did it leave her face. Her smile helped everyone else keep their spirits up as well. Especially when the work got really tough. Things went on this way for an entire week. 

Naoki seen how exhausted everyone was and farmers were complaining that they had no time to tend their crops, so he gave everyone a day off to recuperate and take care of anything they needed to. Kagome and the gang took this as an opportunity to sleep and take advantage of the beautiful weather they had been having. They all slept well into the morning, skipping breakfast and going straight to lunch. Kaede made them a stew and tea with special herbs to help them relax and their tired muscles recuperate. After lunch they all went into the forest for some peace. Inuyasha took to the branches of the Goshinboku, of course. Shippo chased the various butterflies and moths that flew past. Kagome sat under a large tree a little ways from the Goshinboku, but where she could still see Inuyasha lounging. She sat and watched Shippo play for a couple minutes before Sango and Miroku approached her.

"Hey Kagome!" Sango said, smiling. 

"Hey Sango! What's up?" Kagome replied, waving.

"You looked a bit lonely here by yourself so we decided to keep you company." Miroku said as he sat down next to Sango who sat to the right of Kagome.

"Thanks you guys. I _was_ getting a bit lonely. I just want to say thank you for all your help with the well."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. Anything to help a friend." Sango replied, her smiling widening. 

"Yes Kagome, we want nothing but to see you happy again." Miroku added.

"Thanks, you guys are the best!" Kagome said, truly touched. 

"Hey Kagome, would you like to go to the hot springs with me?" Sango asked.

"That sounds like a great idea Sango!!" Kagome said standing, Sango following suit. Miroku stood as well, prepared to follow.

"I don't think so, Miroku! You wait here! I better not catch you spying on us or you'll be sorry!" Sango warned.

"I have no ill intentions, Sango! I just thought that sounded great as well!" Evil looks from both girls made him change his mind. He slowly turned around and walked toward the Goshinboku and sat under the safety of it's branches.

"Hey Shippo, Sango and I are heading to the hot springs. Do me a favor and keep an eye on Miroku, would you please?" Kagome asked the kitsune who was playing a little ways off. He finally snatched a butterfly but when Kagome called his name he took his eye off it and it slipped through his fingers. 

"Sure thing Kagome." He looked sadly at the place the butterfly had been just seconds before, and walked over to Miroku, jumping on his head. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't follow you!"

"Thanks Shippo!" Kagome called behind her as her and Sango made their way to the hot springs.

"Well Miroku, what would you like to do while the ladies are away?" Shippo asked, jumping into his lap. Miroku just sighed and looked longingly at the retreating figures of the girls.

"Ah! This feels so good!" Kagome sighed as she slid into the hot spring.

"I know. Especially after only having time to bathe in the cold river." Sango replied, following Kagome's example. There was a brief moment of silence. Sango fought within herself, whether or not to ask Kagome the question that had been plaguing her mind for days.

"Hey Kagome... what's going on between you and Inuyasha?" she asked shyly. Kagome blushed. "I don't mean to be rude or anything!" she added quickly. "It's just, you two seemed to be getting so close, and now...."

"Well, I'm not really sure. We haven't really talked much the past week. We've been so busy with the well. I haven't even had time to think about it. Even today he hasn't talked to me. It's almost as if he's avoiding me...." The more she spoke, the quieter she got. The events of the cave and the inn running through her mind, followed by the work on the well. Inuyasha acted as if he didn't even know her this past week and now that it was on her mind, she didn't like it one bit. 'One second he's practically begging me not to leave him, the next it's as if he doesn't even know me!' she thought to herself. 'Is it that he's embarrassed? Or...has he changed his mind about me....' Kagome's eyes got glassy and the smile that shown on her face slowly faded. Sango noticed this and suddenly felt very guilty. She knew she shouldn't have mentioned Inuyasha to her. She shouldn't have said a word.

"Kagome," Sango said quietly, placing her hand gently on Kagome's shoulder. "I'm really sorry I brought it up. I didn't realize..."

"No, no, no! It's ok, you didn't know. I understand why you asked, things are a bit weird between us. Even I don't fully understand." Kagome said, putting on a big smile. Sango eyed her suspiciously. She could see through that smile of hers.

"Really Sango. It's fine! Everything's fine." 

"Well, if you say so." Sango replied quietly. She vowed that she'd keep an eye on her friend, and be sure Inuyasha was nice to her. If he did anything to hurt her...

Miroku tried his hardest to get away from Shippo, but the little brat wasn't letting him go anywhere. Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"Hey Shippo," he said slyly.

"Yeah."

"Want to play a game?"

"Sure!" Shippo's face lit up with excitement.

"Why don't we play a game of hide-n-go seek?" he asked carefully. "I'll hide and you seek." Shippo was so excited, he completely forgot about his promise to Kagome. He turned to face the nearest tree.

"1, 2, 3..." he counted. 'Hehehe...' Miroku chuckled to himself. 'Now's my chance.' He quickly started to make his way to the hot springs. He didn't get very far before he saw red.

"And just where do you think you're going, monk?" an angry Inuyasha asked.

"Now now Inuyasha, I was just going for a walk. No reason for alarm." Miroku said defensively.

"Then why are you walking in the direction of the hot springs? Aren't the girls down there?" Inuyasha eyed Miroku, he could see right through him. He's tried this a million times.

"Oh is it now? I didn't realize that was where I was going." Miroku replied, acting as if he was thoroughly confused. He leaned to the side to see around Inuyasha and seen the girls coming up the hill. 'Darn it!' 

"98, 99, 100! Ready or not, here I come Miroku!!" Shippo yelled. He turned around and spotted Kagome and Sango coming up the hill. 

"Kagome!" he yelled and ran to her, jumping in her arms. 

"Hey Shippo!" Kagome giggled. "Did Miroku behave while we were gone?"

"Don't worry, I didn't let him go anywhere near the springs!" he said proudly.

"Why thank you Shippo!" Kagome said, ruffling his hair. Inuyasha took this time to exit and jumped back into his tree. Miroku nonchalantly walked over to the girls.

"Now Miss Kagome, do you really doubt me that much?" Miroku asked, acting as if he was hurt. Kagome and Sango just eyed him as if he were nuts and made their way back to Kaede's hut. Miroku just sighed and followed after them. 

"Hey Inuyasha!" he turned and yelled behind him. "Are you going to join us? It's nearly time for dinner."

"Maybe later." was the only response he got. So he turned around and walked back to the hut.

It was nearly dark when he arrived at the hut. Shippo was in a corner playing with a game Kagome had brought. Sango was polishing Hiraikotsu and Kagome was helping Kaede with dinner.

"Hey Miroku." Kagome greeted him. "Is Inuyasha with you?"

"No, he said he'd be back later." he said, sitting in front of the fire to warm the chill that settled in his bones during the walk home. 

"Oh, I hope he comes back soon. Dinner's almost done." she said, looking in the pot at the boiling stew. About five minutes later, Kaede and Kagome handed out bowls of hot stew to everyone.

"Oh Inuyasha, you're back." Kagome exclaimed when she turned around to find Inuyasha sitting in his usual position by the fire, eyes closed, waiting patiently for his bowl.

"Here's some stew for you." Kagome said when there was no response, handing him a bowl. Inuyasha took it without even looking at her and immediately began eating. Kagome just sighed and finished handing out the food before sitting down with her own. After dinner, everyone washed up and went back to the inn to sleep and prepare for the following day when work would resume. Inuyasha silently went outside and took to the trees. He lay in a low branch and watched the stars. He had chosen the branch carefully, he could see the window to Kagome's room, which now lay open to allow the cool night air to enter and coax her into a peaceful sleep. She looked so peaceful, her hair slightly blowing in the breeze, the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly in a small smile, giving her face a look of complete serenity. Even in her sleep, she seemed fully aware of Inuyasha's careful vigilance. His gaze, no matter how hard he tried to keep it to the stars, kept going back to Kagome's sleeping form. 'She looks so beautiful.' he thought to himself. 'Even though she promised to return, I'm reluctant to let her go back to her time. What if she changes her mind? What if she never comes back? I wouldn't be able to live through losing someone again. Plus the jewel...that's it, I'm worried about the jewel is all. If she leaves, we'll never be able to finish it. We haven't even found any since we started trying to fix the stupid well. We're just doing this so we can get back to shard hunting...' he tried to convince himself. 'Who am I kidding? I don't care about the jewel anymore. The only thing I'm worried about is Kagome. I just want her to be happy again. But, I don't want her to go...She promised, and I trust her...' He slowly slid off to dreamland, his thoughts on Kagome.

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Hhhhhmmm.... this seems as good a place as any to end the chapter. I think there's only going to be two more chapters until the end. I'm almost positive of it. I can't wait to write another story. It's so much fun. It helps...anyway, I'm not going to get into that. Review please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yes, please no flames on calling Shippo a brat. I didn't really mean it, I love Shippo. I was just speaking from Miroku's point of view. Please no flames!!


	14. Chapter 14

Hello again people. I've come out of the panic room, it was getting a bit stuffing in there, in hopes that I would be, at least somewhat, safe out here. Now that I've given you a chapter and I'm about to give you another in record timing for me. *ducks as a frying pan flies past head* Now, I tried to be nice!! *dramatic sigh* I can't work under these conditions!! *potato hits in head* @_@ '20 minutes later'...Now that's no way to treat the authoress!!! *people start chasing her again* Aaahhh!! *Runs back into panic room, shuts door.*

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters (or the panic room). I do own Tameiko, Tomeo, Naoki, and Taro, so don't steal them! Or Mr. Bubbles will come get you!

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Chapter 14

Kagome awoke the next morning to the rising sun shining on her face through her still open window. She slowly opened her eyes and stretched. She felt so refreshed and ready to conquer yet another day of work. The well was nearly complete and Naoki told her only a few more days and she should be able to go home. As she sat up, she turned to face the window. The first thing to catch her eyes was a bright red in the branch right outside her window. At first it startled her until she seen the silver, shining in the sun and slightly blowing in the gentle breeze, that was Inuyasha's hair. She smiled, knowing that he still watched over her at nights. It made her feel incredibly safe and happy. She knew nothing could hurt her as long as Inuyasha was nearby. He was still sleeping and thought it best to let him sleep for now. She silently closed her window and changed back into her freshly washed school uniform, before heading into the bathroom to wash up. When she was finished, she walked down to the dining area where Sango, Shippo, Naoki, and Inuyasha were already sitting, waiting to eat. Taro was busy in the kitchen, making their breakfast. 

'Inuyasha? Wasn't he sleeping just a moment ago? Must have woken up while I was getting ready.' Kagome thought as she made her way to the table. A few minutes later, Miroku joined the table and Taro served the food. It was a simple breakfast. Each person got an egg, toast and some bacon. This was the only breakfast they got at the inn, but no one complained. After breakfast they went back to work. Some of the men had already arrived and were working. Everyone joined in and Shippo hopped on a stool to maintain his role as 'Supervisor'. Inuyasha didn't really do much, he would help with anything that was heavy and cut lumber. His claws came in very handy for this. Kagome and Sango busied themselves packing the stones into the sides of the well and making sure the lumber stayed in place. Miroku did any odd jobs that needed to be done, such as helping Inuyasha cut lumber, (which he really didn't need help with) or gathering more stones for the girls. Everyone was busy, as usual.

The day came and went. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted again. They headed back to the inn to wash up and go to bed. Nobody said a word to anybody. Everyone went to bed without any complaints and fell right to sleep. Everyone, that is, except Kagome. Kagome could not get to sleep. She was physically exhausted, yes, but her mind was racing. Not over anything important, she just wasn't tired mentally. Maybe it was the fact that within the matter of days, she could see her family again. Within a matter of days, she could be at school again, in her own time, eating modern food and watching television (not necessarily in that order). Maybe it was the fact that Inuyasha still hadn't talked to her, but kept a constant watch over her at night. Maybe it was the fact that she had a feeling. A feeling in the bottom off her gut that something big was going to happen. Whatever it was, it was annoying her, cause she really needed to sleep. She tried counting sheep, she tried humming, she tried just laying with her eyes closed and staying really still, but that just seemed to make it worse. She tossed and turned for what seemed like an eternity before sleep finally claimed her. But it didn't calm her any. Her sleep was plagued with dreams...nightmares. Haunting nightmares, about the well. Something was going to happen, something was going to go wrong. Dreams about her family, seeing them again. Dreams she wished she would have more often. Frightening dreams about things that seemingly had nothing to do with reality. Even in her sleep she continued to toss and turn. 

Inuyasha was sitting outside her window, as he did every night. Tonight, however, she had forgotten to open the window, so he could not see her, only listen. He could hear her toss and turn as she waited for sleep. He could hear her beautiful humming and her voice as she tried to coax herself to sleep. He could smell annoyance at the fact that none of it was working. After a while, she finally lay still and her breathing became more regular. Inuyasha slowly started to drift off to sleep as well until he smelled fear coming from Kagome. He jumped down from the branch and went to her window. He slowly pulled it open and peeked inside. She was tossing and turning and mumbling, but she was still asleep. 

'She must be having a nightmare.' he thought. She started talking in her sleep, her groans slowly growing louder. Tears slowly started leaking from the corners of her tightly closed eyes. Inuyasha slowly walked over to her and began stroking her hair.

"Shh, Kagome it's ok, it's only a dream. Nothing is going to hurt you, I promise." he said to her softly. She stopped tossing and her body relaxed under his touch. His voice seemed to take away the fearful look on her face. His hand moved from her hair to cup her face, his thumb stroking her cheek, gently wiping away the tears. She instinctively leaned into his touch. A small smile spread across her lips. Inuyasha smiled back at her. He got up to go back to his branch when he felt a hand on his hand.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said quietly. He turned his head and looked at her, his crouched body straightening slightly at the sound of his name.

"Inuyasha," Kagome turned over onto her stomach and looked at Inuyasha through tired eyes. "Where are you going?" she asked quietly.

"Um," he stumbled over his words, caught off guard by her question. "I was...um...going to go back to sleep."

"Oh, well...If it's not too much trouble...do you think...you could stay here tonight? It's cold outside. I know you sleep in the tree at night. I see you on the branch every morning when I wake up." Inuyasha remained silent. He had turned his body toward the window and sat on the floor, arms crossed, eyes closed. Kagome sat herself up as well and faced Inuyasha.

"How have you been?" she asked.

"What?! Fine, why do you ask?" he said, surprised by her question.

"Well, you haven't said a word to me this entire week. Not since we started work. Not a word! So...I thought maybe something was wrong..." Her words trailed off and her head dropped to look at the ground.

"Nothing's wrong...I just...nothing." Inuyasha didn't know what to say. He knew he hadn't been very kind towards Kagome lately, but it's not like he was mean either. He didn't talk to anybody unless it was necessary...

"You just what?" Kagome asked gently. She wanted Inuyasha to open up to her, but didn't want to chase him away.

"I just had a lot on my mind, ok?" he snapped, a bit rougher than intended and quickly got up to leave.

"Sorry, for asking." Kagome snapped back and laid back down, covering up her now cold body. Inuyasha froze.

"Look Kagome, I'm really sorry for not talking to you. I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"I understand. Just know that you can talk to me about anything, ok? You don't have to be afraid to open up to me. I'm a good listener and good at keeping secrets." she said quietly, not moving from her place.

"Thank you Kagome." Kagome gasped in surprise at the answer. 'He's thanking me?? Why?' But before she could say anything he was gone. She got up and looked out the window but didn't see him anywhere. She left the window open and climbed back under the covers. She smiled and drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Inuyasha was perched on the roof of the inn, a smile on his face.

The next morning, when Kagome awoke, everything was silent except for the birds chirping outside her window. She groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes. She slowly climbed to her feet and looked out the window. The sun was already high in the sky and figured must be close to noon. 'Wait, noon?!?! I overslept! Why didn't anyone wake me up!?!?!' She quickly got dressed and ran into the dining area. On the table was some sandwiches and a note, addressed to her.

__

Dear Kagome,

We heard you did not sleep well last night and thought

it best to let you sleep. Here are some sandwiches for you, 

help yourself. Hope you feel better!

-Taro

Kagome smiled and relaxed a little. She ate one of the sandwiches and headed out the door. When she arrived on the work site, Miroku was the first to see her.

"Ah Kagome, I hope you slept well." he said.

"KAGOME!" Shippo yelled as he plummeted into her chest from his chair. "Do you feel better Kagome?"

"Yes, much better thank you Shippo! Thanks for letting me sleep in you guys, I really needed it. Last night was horrible!" she said graciously.

"Don't thank us Kagome, thank Inuyasha. He's the one that wouldn't let anyone go near your room. He said you barely slept at all last night and needed your rest." Miroku told her.

"Really?!? I think I'll do just that, where is he? Do you know?"

"Last I seen him he was over by the Goshinboku as usual. But he's been coming and going all day and it was a while ago that I seen him." Shippo said.

"Thanks Shippo." she said, placing him back on his stool after up-righting it. He knocked it down when he jumped off to greet her. "I'm going to go over and see if he's still there."

Kagome walked toward the Goshinboku, keeping her eyes peeled for Inuyasha. She didn't see him anywhere.

"Inuyasha?" she called. No answer. "Inuyasha?" she called again, still no answer. She sighed and turned to walk back towards the well.

"Did you sleep well?" Kagome jumped at the sound of his voice and turned around.

"Yeah, I did, thanks." A moment of silence passed over them. Kagome nervously shuffled her feet.

"Did you want something?" Inuyasha asked, no longer able to take the silence.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to thank you for letting me sleep this morning. I really needed it."

"I know you did. No problem. Just don't get used to it!" Another moment of silence.

"Well, I'm going to get to work." Kagome said as she turned to leave. "Thanks again Inuyasha!" And with that she went back to work.

The rest of the day resumed as usual. Everyone did their work and by the end of the day they had finally completed the well. Kagome was ecstatic. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stop giggling in all her excitement. Everyone stood back and congratulated each other on a job well done. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were all off a little ways jumping and giggling and chattering in excitement. Inuyasha was in a tree just above the group. Though he hated to see Kagome going soon, he couldn't help but smile. The happiness radiating from the group was enough to make anyone smile. 

"Congratulations Kagome! You finally get to go home!!" Sango exclaimed hugging her friend. 

"Oh my goodness, thank you so much!!" she said happily. Shippo seen Inuyasha up in the tree and jumped up after him. 

"Hey Inuyasha, the well is done!! Kagome can go home!!" Shippo exclaimed, dancing on Inuyasha's head. 

"I see that!" Inuyasha said, pushing him off. "Congratulations Kagome!" he yelled down to the chattering girl.

"Thanks Inuyasha!!" she yelled back. 

"Hey, why don't we all head over to Kaede's to tell her the good news and celebrate!!" Sango suggested. 

"That sounds like a great idea! Then I can pack my stuff and head home!" Kagome exclaimed, once again bursting into giggles at the mention of going home.

So they all headed over to Kaede's and told her the news. She cooked a huge meal to celebrate. Everyone ate and talked and giggled and had a great time, even Inuyasha. Well, he really only ate and talked, he didn't giggle, but he did smile. When everyone had had their fill, food was still left. Kagome set to gathering her things and packing them into her yellow backpack again. 

"Just think Inuyasha, I can get more ramen now!" she said as she ran about the room. Inuyasha's face lit up.

"RAMEN!!!! Make sure you get enough for at least a week!!" he exclaimed. This only set Kagome to giggling again. When everything was packed they headed to the inn to get a few things Kagome left there. As soon as they walked through the door they were greeted by Naoki and Taro. Taro came running over and enveloped Kagome in a hug. 

"Congratulations Kagome!! I'm so happy for you!!" he exclaimed. Inuyasha growled at him from deep within his chest. 

"Thanks Taro!" Kagome replied and tried to pull away, but he held tight. Inuyasha took a step toward him and he let go and went back to stand by his father.

"Thanks for everything you guys! If it weren't for all your help I probably wouldn't be going home." Kagome said sincerely.

"Oh, you're welcome. We were more than happy to help!" Naoki said, bowing slightly toward her. 

"Oh! I left some things in my room and I'd just like to get them before I leave."

"Go right ahead." Naoki said. Kagome ran to her room and grabbed her brush and a few other things and ran back to the others.

"Well, we should be going, thanks again!" Kagome said and headed out the door, everyone followed her. She all but ran to the well, if it weren't for her backpack she would have. When she arrived at the well she stopped. She looked at the well and slowly fingered the freshly cut wood and the top of the rope ladder she built and attached to the inside of the well. Everyone stayed a few feet behind her. She turned to face them, a nervous smile on her face.

"I don't know why I'm nervous to do this, but I am. I mean, I've done this a thousand times, right?" she said and giggled nervously.

"Don't be nervous Kagome. This is what you've been waiting for all this time." Miroku said gently. 

"You're right. I have no reason to be nervous and this is what I want. I want to go home." she said with determination. "Bye guys! See you in a few days!!" With that said she jumped into the well. However, the familiar light that usually shown did not shine and everyone heard a loud thump and a muffled cry from inside the well.

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Hehehehe. Sorry, I had to end it here! I think this is my longest chapter. Certainly not my best, but my longest. I'm almost positive the next chapter is going to be the last. Yes, that's right, the story is going to end. *sigh* Now I have to wait for another idea to come to me, then I can write some more hehe. I only need one more review to make it to my goal, one more and I have two hundred, that's it!!!! I'm so excited, so what are you waiting for?? Break my goal, review!!!


	15. Chapter 15 The End

Okay, I'm not going to say much, since I've been so horrible and made you all wait really long for this. I must apologize not only for that but for the state my last few chapters have been written in. I know they haven't been my best and I'm truly sorry. Hopefully this last chapter will make up for it. I actually got my initial idea after this. This is the first thing that came to my mind and this little idea sprang into what you have been reading. Only a majority of the chapter was written ahead of time, might I add. I've had to add a lot and change some things around to make it fit, so it wasn't as easy as just copying from what I already had written. Please don't think I'm THAT lazy. Anyway, I've said way too much already, so on with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.

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Chapter 14

It's been three days now since Kagome jumped into the well. Since then, it's been as if the well had allowed her through, for once they returned to the inn and were permitted to stay there again, she locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Not even for meals. They would bring her meals to her room, but she wouldn't talk to anyone. Inuyasha tried at first to talk to her, but couldn't stand seeing her in that condition and hasn't gone back to the room since. However, he has talked to Naoki and Kaede about the predicament. Neither could figure out what was wrong. Kaede has been looking into it and promised to tell him when and if she found anything. So far, nothing.

"Sango, I'm bored. Is Kagome ever going to come out of her room? I'm really worried about her." Shippo asked. He hasn't stopped talking about her since that dreadful day. It was not only Kagome's pride that was hurt in that fall, her spirit was broken as well. And when Kagome falls, everyone falls with her. No one has been the same, especially Shippo.

"I don't know Shippo, I hope so. I'm worried as well." Sango replied gently. It was nearing sunset and the fire was blazing in the lobby of the inn to keep the chill air out. The days were slowly getting colder and everyone was crowded around the fire. Soft steps were heard from the hall as Miroku returned from bringing Kagome a cup of tea. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

"The same." he said simply, shaking his head from side to side and closing his eyes sadly. He walked toward the fire and sat with his legs crossed, his back leaning against the wall. No one spoke, there was nothing to say. Inuyasha lay in the rafters, his eyes closed, deep in thought. Second to Kagome, Inuyasha was affected the most by the incident. It wasn't that the well was broken that affected so, he was at first happy that she would be staying. He didn't have to worry about her not returning. It was how it was affecting Kagome that got to him. He wanted nothing more than to see her smile again. Nothing more than to have her walking bouncily at his side on another jewel hunt. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, the way she used to be. 

There was a soft knock at the door and Taro rose to answer it.

"Good afternoon, Lady Kaede. What can we do for you tonight?" he greeted her.

"Good afternoon. Where is Kagome? I have something to tell her that may interest her." she replied as she entered the room. The soft click was heard as Taro closed the door behind her. At the mention of Kagome's name, Inuyasha's ears twitched and he came out of his thoughts. He jumped down from the rafter a mere three feet from the place Kaede stood.

"Is it about the well?" he asked eagerly. Kaede simply nodded. Shippo jumped from Sango's lap.

"I'll go get Kagome! Wait here!" he said and ran happily to Kagome's room. When he got to her room he knocked softly.

"Kagome?" he called as he silently slid open the door. "Kagome, Kaede's here, she wants to talk to you. She has news about the well!" Kagome looked at him curiously and slowly rose to her feet.

"Come on!" he called and bounded down the hallway, Kagome closely behind.

When Kagome entered the room, everyone looked at her expectantly. Her eyes had a very far away look to them and she wasn't even trying to hide the sadness that was apparent on her face. She smiled weakly at them and sat down silently across from where Kaede was sitting. Inuyasha carefully sat beside her.

"So what's this news you've got?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. His eyes were closed to avoid looking at Kagome. It tore him apart to see her like this and, for her, he had to keep his wits about.

"I think I've figured out why the well didn't let Kagome enter. When it was first destroyed it closed itself as a sort of defense against whatever was attacking it." Kaede said.

"But why would it do that? No one can pass through except Kagome and myself." Inuyasha asked.

"It is the jewel shards that allow Kagome to pass through the well, and it is possible that a demon with enough jewel shards and enough power may be able to pass through."

"That makes sense I suppose."

"Therefore, my theory is that Kagome must somehow tap into not only the jewel's power, but her miko powers as well to try and reopen the well."

"But, how am I supposed to do that?" Kagome asked quietly. Everyone looked at her in surprise. It was the first time they had heard her voice in three days.

"I am not sure." Kaede replied sadly. "Only you can figure it out. But take heed, this is only a theory. If it does not work, I don't know what else will. Now I must be leaving. I need my rest." she rose to her feet.

"Thank you, Kaede." Kagome said.

"You're welcome child. You get some rest as well." When Kaede left Kagome stood up and turned her back to her friends. 

"Kagome, where are you going?" Shippo asked, grabbing her sock.

"I'm going back to my room to think and get some sleep." she said, and walked back to her room. Everyone was silent until they heard the door to her room close quietly.

"I'm going start dinner." Taro said and went into the kitchen. Inuyasha jumped gracefully onto the rafter and laid with his back to the fire. Shippo crawled into Sango's lap and sighed sadly. The house was once again silent except for the quiet sounds of Taro making dinner.

"Okay everyone, dinner is served." Taro called when he finished setting the table. He had set up a small tray to bring to Kagome, like he had every night.

"I guess I'll bring Kagome her dinner tonight." he said picking up the tray and starting for her room.

"No," Inuyasha said jumping from the rafters. "I'll bring it to her." Everyone looked up at him, not believing their own ears. Inuyasha just, "Feh." and took the tray from Taro. As he walked to Kagome's room, everyone stared after him. He quietly knocked on the door.

"Kagome?" he called and slid open the door. The last rays of the sun shone through the slits in the shutters and landed harmlessly on the floor. Inuyasha could barely make out Kagome's form. He carefully walked over to the oil lamp in the corner and lit it. He turned to face the center on the room. Kagome was sitting silently on her messy sleeping bag, her back to the door.

"Kagome." he said again. "I...uh...I brought you some dinner." There was still no response. "I guess I just leave it here then." He placed it at the foot of her sleeping bag and turned to leave.

"I don't know how I'm going to do." Inuyasha heard Kagome's quiet voice saying. "I don't think I'm capable of it. It's all laying on me and I can't take it." Her voice cracked and it was evident that she was crying. "I'm never going to see my family again and it's all my fault!" Inuyasha didn't say anything. He slowly turned to face her. She was on her hands and knees, grasping the blankets in her fists. He stood in the doorway and just looked at her. He hated seeing her cry, but this was worse than anything he'd ever seen from her. She felt helpless, and guilty and sad beyond belief, and he couldn't stand it. It tugged at his very soul and he had an overwhelming desire to comfort her. 'No one deserves this kind of pain unwillingly...Especially no her. She shouldn't have to go through this.' he thought. He let his emotions get the best of him, and before he could stop himself, he was standing next to her.

He went over to her so silently that she didn't even realize he was there until he lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him through red, glassy eyes. Her eyes met his and she was surprised at what she seen, for she had never seen his eyes the way they were now. They were kind and compassionate, with a hint of sorrow and worry. He knelt down in front of her and moved his hand from her shoulder to her face. He gently wiped away the tears which stained her cheeks. Kagome was speechless, she involuntarily let a slight whimper escape her lips.

He took her into his arms and held her close. She rested her head on his chest as a few stray tears escaped her eyes and landed on his shirt, leaving little dark marks. He stroked the end of her hair where they landed on her back and began nuzzling her neck.

'What's going on?' she thought. 'He never shows this toward affection toward me. Sure, he's tried to comfort me and there was that kiss, but this is different. He's never been so gentle and kind before...' He gently bit the back on her neck, snapping her from her thoughts. Her head arched back in surprise before she rested her head back on his shoulder. She suddenly knew where this was heading.

"Inuyasha...no..." she whispered barely audible, unsure of her own words. He gently laid her back on the blankets, cradling her head as if she were a child. She held the fabric of his shirt near his shoulders, as if afraid to let go. She looked into his eyes and saw the love and compassion he never showed before. He grabbed her wrists and gently pulled her fists from his shirt. He held her hands above her head and lowered himself on top of her. He came within inches of her face. 

"Trust me..." he whispered and kissed her gently, but passionately. Her tense hands relaxed, showing her surrender to him and the feelings they both shared.

The next morning, Inuyasha was the first to wake. He looked over at Kagome, his arm around her waist. She was on her back, her head facing him. 'She looks so peaceful when she sleeps.' he thought to himself and smiled. He brushed away a stray piece of hair from her face with the back of his hand before getting up. He move slowly, as not to wake her, and quietly got dressed. He walked to the door and took one last look at her sleeping face before deciding to leave. His hand was on the door when she began to stir.

He let his hand drop to his side but he did not look at her. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. 'Was it just a dream?...' she wondered. She sat up, holding up the blanket to cover her front and seen Inuyasha standing by the door.

"Inuyasha..." He turned toward her slowly and smiled down at her.

"Good morning," he said. "I'm sorry if I woke you." She nodded there was a brief moment of silence between them before they heard arguing from down the hall.

"It sounds like the others have started without us." he said, unsure of what to say. "Come join us when you're ready." he half asked. She nodded in reply and with that, Inuyasha smiled at her and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

He walked down the hall slowly, deep in his own thoughts. When he entered the dining room, everyone stopped and just stared at him with questioning eyes. He looked up at them and blinked blankly.

"What are you staring at?!" he snapped before he sat down and started shoveling food onto his plate. They all resumed their eating but kept an eye on Inuyasha, not saying a word. Suddenly, there was a loud smack as Sango Miroku for being...well Miroku, leaving a red hand print across his face.

Kagome stared at the door for a few seconds without moving. She was going over the previous night in her head. She couldn't believe it had actually happened. 'Not even in my wildest dreams did I think...' Her thoughts trailed off. She was still groggy from just waking up and decided to let it be for now. She got up, got dressed and headed to bathroom to wash up. She splashed cold water on her face from the basin to wake herself up and looked at her reflection in the water. 'I think I know what I need to do.' she thought and proceeded to the breakfast table.

Her entrance into the dining room was much the same as Inuyasha's. Everyone, except Inuyasha, stared at her with the same questioning eyes.

"Uh...Good morning..." she said, uncomfortable under everyone's gaze. Everyone looked from Kagome to Inuyasha and back again.

"Ignore them." he told her. "They've been acting like that all morning." She slowly sat down next to him and took the plate he handed her and began putting food on it. 'It's going to be a long day.' she thought with a sigh. Shippo took his plate and sat down nest to Kagome.

"Kagome, you're out of your room..." he said carefully.

"Yeah." she said, smiling at him. "I think I know what Kaede was saying. I think I figured out a way."

After breakfast, they all quickly cleaned while Kagome repacked. She wasn't nearly as excited as she was the first time she thought she was going home. She thought it best not to get her hopes up to high, she didn't want to have to lock herself in her room again. If this didn't work, then she would just have to try again, until the well allowed her to pass once again into her own time.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called. "Are you ready to go?"

"Coming!" she replied and joined the others.

During their walk to the well, they filled Kagome in on everything she missed over the last three days, which was nothing, but it served as some kind of conversation. Inuyasha didn't walk ahead of them, as usual, but next to Kagome. He didn't say anything, but just the fact that he walked with her meant a lot to her and brought a smile to her face. When they arrived at the well, Kagome stood next to it and ran her fingers gently along the rim.

"Well, here it goes." she said nervously. The others stood back and watched. Kagome took the jewel in her hands and closed her eyes. The jewel started to glow lightly. The light gradually grew brighter. Suddenly, a familiar blue light shot out from the well. Everyone shielded their eyes. When they opened them again, the well was glowing slightly and they knew instantly that it had worked. 

"Well, you guys." Kagome smiled proudly. "I guess this is good-bye for now. I'm going to stay home for a while. Me and my family have a lot to catch up on. So don't think I've left you forever, don't worry, I'll be back. Bye guys!" Shippo jumped happily into Kagome's arms.

"Good-bye Kagome. I can't wait til you get back!" He gave her one last hug and jumped back over to the others. Kagome glanced over them and noticed Inuyasha looked very sad and his eyes had a far away look to them. He suddenly noticed her staring and flashed her a quick smiled. She smiled back and turned back toward the well. An idea came to her and she turned back around to face Inuyasha. She slowly walked toward him. When she was about a foot in front of him, she smiled up at him.

"Inuyasha," she asked. "Would you like to come with me?" Inuyasha looked surprised for a moment, then he smiled and nodded. She took his hand in hers and they both jumped into the well. The light grew brighter for a moment and went out and they were gone.

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The end

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Well...what did you think??? I really hope this made up for everything. I want to thank all my loyal fans for the reviews and sticking around even when I didn't update for a really long time. Thanks so much. I looked forward to writing another story. Bye bye for now!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	16. To clear up any confusion

Okay everyone, there seemed to be some confusion about the ending. Yes, they did make it through to Kagome's time. They're both going to stay there for a while. 

Also, I will be starting another story soon, but it's not a fanfic. It's going to be a short story written by me with my very own ideas and my very own characters. It's prolly going to be a while before it comes out though, so yeah. I think I'm going to proofread this story first, because I'm finding a bunch of little mistakes that are really annoying me now. So yeah. I'm out. Keep your eyes open on FictionPress.net since that's where the original stories are now. Maybe I'll announce it on the story, I dunno. Anyway, peace out everyone. You've been great.


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